O'Reiley Saga: SERIES FINALE TRILOGY
by mrjop2
Summary: This story contains ALL 3 PARTS of the O'Reile Saga Series Finale 30 chapters . Comissioner O'Reiley Bane and Harley Quinn launched thier master plan to bring New Gotham to it's distruction as Helena struggles with her desire to give up the superhero l
1. Dreaming of Normality

FOR 8 STORIES, YOU HAVE READ THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF THE BIRDS OF PREY CONTINUING AFTER DEVIL EYES. NOW, THE JOURNEY HAS COME TO ITS END. THE 3 PART SERIES FINALE STARTS RIGHT NOW!  
  
PREVIOUS STORIES IN THE O'REILEY SAGA  
  
Episodes 1 and 2 HUNTRESS THE HUNTED  
  
Episode 3 NIGHTWING   
  
Episode 4 WALKING ON AIR  
  
Episode 5 BLIND FAITH  
  
Episodes 6 THINK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL  
  
Episodes 7 FATHER'S DAUGHTER  
  
Episode 8 HELENA VS. THE HUNTRESS  
  
BIRDS OF PREY: THE COMISSIONER O'REILEY SAGA   
  
SERIES FINALE PART 1  
  
Day of Reckoning  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
The rain was pouring down upon New Gotham in buckets. The lightning flashed in the sky frequently as another April storm had arrived. Helena sat alone on the ledge wearing a green bath robe. She watched the lightning bolts streak across the sky. "What are you doing out here all alone?" Reese said, stepping out onto the ledge with Helena.  
  
Helena looked up at Reese with a smile on her face. "I just love sitting out here during thunderstorms. The top of the clock provides shelter from the rain, and the brilliant flashes of lights over New Gotham."  
  
"I meant, why are you out here alone," Reese said, sitting next to Helena. "You've been keeping to yourself more lately. Why?"  
  
Helena sighed, as she slid closer to him and leaned into him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I've been stuck in this clock tower for the past eight months. I have no contact on the outside world besides you and Danielle. I feel like I have nothing left to live for."  
  
"Don't give up on me, you here me?" Reese gently lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes. "I am not giving up, nor should you. I am looking forward to us being able to takE nights out to the hit the town without fear of being hassled. We are going to be able to live normal lives together. I promise you that much."  
  
Helena smiled. "A normal life; that is something I've only dreamed about. The only reason I ever became the Huntress was because of my mother's murder. Now that I have learned to put the anger behind me, I have become tired of being Gotham's hero. I want a normal life for once, although I don't know how I would make the adjustment."  
  
"I think you'll make a wonderful adjustment. I will be there every step of the way to help you make the adjustment."  
  
"I wouldn't even consider living a normal life without you," Helena said. Their faces met and their lips united in passion. Reese jumped up to his feet, and helped Helena up. Now standing, the two of them embraced each other and continued their passionate kiss. The wind direction suddenly changed, and the rain came flying in at them, drenching the both of them. Helena chuckled but neither she nor Reese cared about the bombardment of rain. They stayed out there holding each other and enjoying the kiss.  
  
* * * *  
  
Daytime had brought a warm sunny day in New Gotham. Barbara had taken her wheel chair over by the glass clock, on the far end across the metal platform. She looked the wheels in place and pushed herself out of her wheel chair. She was now standing on her own two feet. Barbara took a deep breath and she began to take baby steps towards the platform. When she reached the platform, she decided to keep on going. She walked up the ramp, holding on to the metal railing that she had put up. She made it up the ramp and decided to keep on going.  
  
Barbara walked across the platform and down the other ramp. A few times, going down the ramp, she nearly stumbled, but caught herself on the pole. Standing at the balcony railing was Helena and Dinah. Dinah was wearing her nightgown while Helena was in her white tank tops and black underwear. They stood their and watched as Barbara made it to the bottom of the ramp. "That's the furthest you've gone on your own," Helena said with a smile on her face. "It looks like before long you will be totally out of the wheel chair."  
  
"That's my hope," Barbara replied. "Dinah, would you mind go getting the wheel chair for me. I'm getting tired."  
  
"Of course!" Dinah ran as fast as her legs would take her down the steps and past Barbara to get the wheel chair.  
  
"Now that you are starting to get more control of your legs, you still better not think about trying to become the hero again. You will never fully heal enough for you to be as good as you were before."  
  
"I've learned that lesson. I will not make that mistake twice. I will leave that for the two of you."  
  
Helena knew she did not mean anything offensive to her, but that comment was like a knife piercing her heart. There was no way she could have known about her weariness about being the Huntress. Helena could not control her emotions. She knew her face was showing the hurt and she turned around to head back into the bedroom.  
  
Barbara was puzzled by the sudden change in Helena and her walking off as if she had been insulted. Dinah had noticed the same thing. "What did I say?"  
  
Dinah brought the wheel chair to Barbara, noticing the same thing. She helped her back into the wheel chair. "I'll go talk to her."  
  
Dinah ran back up stairs. She knocked on Helena's door which was open and she walked in. Helena's bare back was facing Dinah as she slipped into her Huntress 'costume'. That is what she called it now. She once felt comfortable wearing it when going out to roam New Gotham. Now, she felt like a freak in it. It almost made her sick.  
  
"Is something bothering you, Helena?"  
  
"What, are you reading my mind now?" Helena said sarcastically.  
  
"No, I don't need to."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it. You wouldn't understand," Helena said, slipping on her pants over her black underwear and buckling it.  
  
"Why don't you try me," Dinah replied, somewhat agitated by her attitude towards her.  
  
Helena picked up on the agitation in her voice and sighed. "I'm sorry, Dinah. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just don't really want to talk about it right now. Thank you for being concerned." Helena turned and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
That cooled Dinah back down. "I'm sorry; you're like an older sister to me. You and Barbara have taken good care of me, and I just want to return the favor."  
  
"I appreciate it, kid. If you'll excuse me now, I want to go hang out with Danielle for a while."  
  
Dinah didn't say anything, but she wanted to protest her from going out in broad day light, but she knew that it would do no good. It was doubtful that even Barbara could even talk some sense into her. She bit her bottom lip and watched as she walked out of the room. 


	2. Captured

CHAPTER 2  
  
Danielle was in her bed, laying flatly on her belly, fast asleep. That quickly changed when she felt two hands push down on her back and shaking her gently. "Come on, sleepy head, get out of bed and get dressed. Let's go do something!"  
  
"Helena, what are you doing here?" Danielle moaned groggily.   
  
"I'm sick and tired of being locked away. I want to go out and have some fun and enjoy life a little!"  
  
"Helena," Danielle said as she looked up at Helena. "Helena, I love you, I really do, but Gibson and I run a bar and We don't get home till four or five in the morning. This is my time to sleep. Besides, you should not be out and about during the daylight, all of New Gotham police force is looking for you. Going out at this time of a day is reckless."  
  
"That's easy for you to say," Helena said softly, sitting besides her on her bed. "You have a normal life. Mine was stolen from me the day my mother was murdered."  
  
"Helena, I'm sorry." Danielle sat up in her bed, using the sheets to cover herself.  
  
"It was the anger of that event that made me turn into the Huntress. As of late, I've come to grips about all that now. The anger that had been built up in me is gone, and now all I want is to live normally." Helena stood up and pranced around the room. "I'm tired of being New Gotham's superhero."  
  
"Have you talked to Barbara this?" Danielle asked.  
  
"No, how can I tell her that I don't want to be a superhero anymore? Besides, if I just can't give it up when I can't even step outside that clock tower. I damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't."  
  
"Things will get better for you, Helena. Don't give up now."  
  
"I don't know what to do anymore. Perhaps it'd be better if I was dead, then I would be out of my misery."  
  
"Helena, that is not even funny. Don't even dare joke about something like that."  
  
"Who's joking?" Helena said looking down at her feet. "I'm too tired to keep on fighting. I don't know what I'm fighting for anymore." Helena walked towards the window.  
  
"Helena, wait!" She turned but Helena was no longer in the room. Danielle had been unraveled by this conversation. She knew she had to tell Barbara right away.  
  
* * * *   
  
Commissioner O'Reiley was sitting at a booth inside the Gotham Cafe drinking a mug of coffee. Today, he was in high spirits, because tonight was the night that he would finally capture the Huntress. Tonight, phase one of his master plan will finally be launched. After a year of conspiring and planning his conquest of New Gotham along side with Harley Quinn, phase one was finally ready to be launched.   
  
A man dressed in jeans and a raggedy black T-shirt sat down across from the commissioner. "Mr. Bane?"  
  
"Shut up you idiot, don't use that name out in the public like this!" Commissioner O'Reiley said angrily.  
  
"Whatever. What did you want me to do?" the man asked.  
  
"Simple. Rob the bank on Main Street. That's all."  
  
"That's it? What makes you think the Huntress will respond to a minor robbery like this?"  
  
"I know that they are listening in, somehow, to our police frequencies. They know everything that's going on. We're going to exaggerate the situation just a bit. That will draw her out. The moment she makes a move and tries to stop you, we will move in and catch her. We will arrest both of you, but me being the police commissioner; I will see you are set free, and with every single dollar that you have stolen from the bank."  
  
"How do I know that you will not just leave me there to rot?" the man looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Even if I did, my next phase of my plan includes ever last inmate of Arkham Asylum. If I decided to keep you in that prison, it means I have decided that you are of further use to me, and have decided to cut you into our plan. It's a no lose situation for you."  
  
"Very well, I'll do it. What time?"  
  
"Ten tonight. The Huntress enjoys the cover of night." The commissioner smiled as he took a sip of his coffee.  
  
* * * *   
  
"I was afraid of this," Barbara said. "Richard had warned me that if the anger inside of her was gone while she is still wanted by the police, she will become more reckless."   
  
"The moment Helena left; I immediately got dressed and came right here. I did not like how that conversation ended, but I can't help but feel guilty about this."  
  
"Don't be sorry. You did exactly right. I am glad you are telling me this. Maybe I can get her to come here and talk to her before she does something dangerous."  
  
"I'm afraid that she might commit suicide with the way she was talking."  
  
"She won't throw herself off the cliff, but in this present state of mine, she can get herself killed." Barbara saw the nervous look on Danielle's face. "Relax, everything will be okay," Barbara said putting a hand on Danielle's upper arm.  
  
* * * *   
  
  
  
Helena sat on the ledge of a random building that she just happened to be by. She didn't know where to go, or what to do. She did not want to go back to the clock tower, but then again she was not enjoying her day away from the clock tower either. This only further depressed her. She could not escape from the feeling of being smothered to death.  
  
"Helena, are you there?" Barbara's voice came over the ear piece.  
  
Helena sighed. "Yes, I'm here."  
  
"You've been gone all day. I've tried to contact you, but you haven't replied. Dinah, Alfred, and I are getting concerned."  
  
"Yea, well I just didn't feel like coming home, and I didn't feel like being bothered today."  
  
"Danielle told me about what happened this morning. Why didn't you tell me what you were feeling?"  
  
"What good would it have done? I would still be as screwed as I am now? No matter how desperate I am to just be normal, that's just never going to happen. I'm always going to be the Huntress, daughter of the Batman. There is no escape from it, no matter how much I hate it."  
  
"Helena, I think you should come back home now. I think you should relax a few days, and you and I need to spend some time together. You're going through some emotional problems right now, and trying to do so alone is the worst thing in the world for you right now."  
  
"Just great, that's all I need, more therapy!" Helena replied. "I'm sick of therapy! If it wasn't for therapy, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."  
  
"Helena, please come home. I'm asking you as a friend, come…"  
  
Helena noticed the interruption of her plea. "What's going on?"  
  
"There's some activity going on at a bank near your location, but right now, I think it's best that you forget about it and come home. I'll send out Dinah to the bank if I have to."  
  
"I'm already here, so I'll take a look," Helena jumped to her feet and sprung into action.  
  
"I don't know if that is such a good idea, right now," Barbara protested.  
  
"Well, I do. Which bank?"  
  
"The Gotham National Bank on Main Street," Barbara responded. "If you're going to do this, please be careful. Don't do anything reckless."   
  
Helena leaped from building to building, to make her way towards the location that Barbara had directed her to. It didn't take her long to land on the rooftop of the Gotham National Bank. She looked around the area, but there were no signs of life. "I'm here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary."  
  
Helena jumped off the one story bank to land on the sidewalk in front of the front door. The door was slightly ajar. "The door has been broken into. You're right; it's just an ordinary bank robber. No problem."   
  
Helena pushed the door open and entered the bank. The bank was dimly lit by a few lights that were usually left on after the bank closed. She walked towards the vault when a masked man walked out of it with a satchel full of money. "What's this, making a hefty withdrawal after bank hours are we?" Helena replied.  
  
The man didn't say anything. He froze where he stood, looking absolutely petrified of her. She was two steps away from him, when she heard noise behind her. She turned to see a dozen police officers blocking the door, all with their guns pointed at her. "Hold it, Huntress! You're under arrest!"  
  
"Damn!" Helena muttered under her breath. She saw a window to her right and made a mad dash for it. The twelve officers open fired on Helena. Helena leaped up onto a banker's desk and leaped into the window, with her arms crossed in front of her face. She came crashing through the window, landing in an alleyway between the bank and another retail store. She swept herself off from any loose pieces of glass when she heard more guns being cocked. She turned and there were five more officers with their guns pointed at her. "Freeze!"  
  
Now, Helena was getting worried. They were closing in on her, taking away all possibilities of her escaping. She looked to her right to see a fence blocking her from reaching the other end of the alleyway. Leaning up against the wooden fence was a large garbage dumpster. Helena again, made a mad dash as the police officers fired their guns at her. She leaped onto the dumpster and then jumped over the fence.  
  
On the other side of the fence, under her was another garbage dumpster for her to land on. She looked forward to see Commissioner O'Reiley pointing his gun as she was on her way down from her jump. He had a sinister smile on his face as he pulled the trigger. His gun fired, and the bullet ripped through her shoulder blade. Helena yelped in agony as the impact caused her to slip on the edge of the dumpster, and come crashing down onto the ground, unconscious.  
  
* * * *   
  
Barbara watched the red flashing dot which identified Helena's location. She could hear the gun shots firing, and great concern came over her. She had no time to think or even offer help. Helena was on her own. As long as the flashing red dot continued to move, everything was alright. There came a single gun fire and with the one shot, the red dot stopped moving. Barbara's hands were shaking, hoping that Helena was alright. Soon, she could here a voice picking up from Helena's microphone, a voice not belonging to Helena. "Radio to the station, we got her!"  
  
"Oh my god!" Barbara was in horror. Helena had been shot and was now in police custody. Her head was spinning; just like that, it was all over." 


	3. Rescue Attempt

CHAPTER 3  
  
The stretcher was raced into the emergency room. There were doctors and nurses surrounding her stretcher as they raced it towards the OR. Helena's eyes fluttered open. The world was speeding past her. Extremely incoherent, Helena tilted her head to her left to see her left wrist handcuffed to the stretcher. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth. Her right shoulder felt like it was on fire, as she looked over at the blood soaked clothes covering her wound.   
  
Helena struggled to stay conscious, but she knew she was fighting a loosing battle. The lights of the hospital speeding past her view just made her more incoherent and weary. Clips of past memories flashed through her mind. Some of faces of those she cared about including Jesse Reese, Danielle, and Barbara. Other clips were from what had happened to her to get her here. Those clips had a lot of blank spaces in which she could not comprehend. Finally, the fight to stay conscious was too much. She slipped back into unconscious.  
  
* * * *   
  
Danielle and Dinah cam running unto the platform, having been told by Barbara that there was an emergency. What the emergency was, neither of them were sure of. Alfred was standing behind Barbara, almost as if trying to show her support, which greatly concerned Dinah. "What's going on?" Dinah asked as they reached the platform.  
  
"We've got a major problem. Helena has been caught."  
  
"By…" Dinah asked.  
  
"No, you're not saying…"  
  
"The police have apprehended her," Barbara said, putting her glasses down onto the top of the desk.  
  
"You're not serious, I hope," Dinah replied.  
  
"I'm afraid it's even worse than that. She was shot."  
  
That news startled both of the girls. "Oh my god," Danielle gasped. "Please don't tell me she's…"  
  
"She's still alive. This happened about four hours ago. Before I informed the both of you, I wanted the full details of her condition. According to her medical records that I was able to hack into, she was shot in the right shoulder blade. The bullet has been removed, and she is in the recovery room right now. However, she is heavily guarded by police. There are even snipers ready to shoot anyone who tries to enter her room from the window. They are taking no chances."  
  
"We've got to get her out of there!" Dinah pleaded.  
  
"I know, but I'm out of ideas. I don't know what to do."  
  
"Well I do!" Detective Reese stormed into the lair and marched up the ramp. "I'm going to get Helena out of the hospital." It was transparently clear that he was furious.   
  
"I can't ask you to give up your job for this. If you do this, you will not only loose your job, but you will be in the same situation as Helena and Dinah. I can't ask you to do that."  
  
"Screw the job; I'm getting her out of there. What room is she in?"  
  
Barbara sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue any further, turned to her computer and typed away to find an answer for Reese. "She is going to be moved to room 234 within the hour. How do you plan to get her out? She will not be able to walk on her own, and they will stop anyone who tries to carry out a half unconscious person.  
  
"Do you still have the case of syringes full of the morphing formula?"  
  
"I have it in a safe hiding place so no one can ever find it. What's the plan?"  
  
"I am going to inject both her and the patient next to her with this stuff. They will switch forms, giving Helena some time to recover enough to make an escape herself."  
  
"I don't know if there will be that much time, but this will give us time to find a way to get her out ourselves. Those syringes are yours."  
  
* * * *   
  
It was three in the morning when Reese arrived to the hospital. He showed his police badge to get in. He made his way to the second floor and followed the signs to Helena's room. Only police officers were allowed to visit at this hour, due to their special circumstances that she is incarcerated by the police. He found her room and there were two officers standing guard by the door.  
  
"At ease boys. Just here to see the condition of the prisoner," Reese flashed his badge before the officers.  
  
"Go ahead, detective."  
  
Reese entered the room to see a shadow laying in bed, in the dark. All lights were off above the cots. Reese braced himself as he stepped towards Helena's bed and flipped the light switch. The light came on, and Reese stood there in confusion. In the bed was a dummy made to look like Helena. "What the hell?"  
  
"I figured you would show," Commissioner O'Reiley stepped out from the shadow, sitting by the closet.  
  
"What's the meaning of this? I want to see the Huntress!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Detective Reese. You are too close to her. You may try and help her escape, and that I will not allow."  
  
"I am only here to see if she's okay, damn it! I have a right to see her!"  
  
"Not this time, Detective. I am taking no chances whatsoever. She is being observed by doctors at a disclosed location. She is going to be fine."  
  
"Damn it, what are you doing? This is not police protocol!"  
  
"Calm down, detective. I did this for your own good. I don't want to lose my best detective, and I was afraid that you would do something rash, so I removed the temptation. Go home, and get some sleep, detective. If anything important happens, I will let you know."  
  
* * * *  
  
"I must protest to this! This is beyond comprehension!" The doctor protested. Several officers pushed Helena's stretcher, one rolled the heart monitor next to the stretcher and one rolled the IV that was pumping blood into Helena on the other side of the stretcher. "She needs at least three days to recover! You can't just roll her off to prison the night she has been shot and through a major surgery! This can kill her!"  
  
Helena's eyes groggily opened. Her right arm was in a sling. Her shoulder was causing her great pain. Extremely disoriented, she barley comprehended the conversation between the doctor and whoever was pushing her. "We're just following orders, doctor. This woman is very dangerous and deceiving. This is a precaution so she can not escape."  
  
"You had her handcuffed to the stretcher for god sakes, how dangerous could she be?"  
  
"We have you here to observe her and give her the medicine she needs to recover. That's all you need to know at this point."  
  
A security officer opened up the electrified metal gate to allow the officers and the doctor to go through. In the center of the room was a large sized octagon shaped plastic cell. It was twice times the size of Harley Quinn's to allow the stretcher to fit inside. One officer used a remote to open the plastic cell door. The officers rolled Helena inside, along with the IV and her heart monitor. "First thing tomorrow morning, you will be allowed in here to see how she is doing." One of the officers said as they began to file out of the cell. One of the officers took the cuffs off of Helena and brought them out with him.   
  
As soon as all the officers were out, the cell door was closed and the lights were dimmed to allow Helena to sleep. Helena again, nodded off, too weak to remain conscious any longer. 


	4. Reese Quits

CHAPTER 4  
  
Helena opened her eyes to find herself looking upwards into dimly lit lights. Slowly, all five sense began to run to normal. Her right shoulder was in great pain. She looked around to see herself in a plastic cell. It took a few seconds, but she began to remember being rolled into her prison cell here. They weren't going to give her time to recover from a gun shot? What were they trying to do, kill her?  
  
Huntress moved her left wrist to find her wrist not cuffed to the stretcher. She was connected to an IV which was pumping into here some blood, but the quart of blood was nearly gone. She was also connected to a heart monitor. She brought her left wrist towards his right, which was in a sling, and she pulled the heart monitor off her. A sharp pain echoed through his shoulder, which caused her to scream in pain. It was by far the greatest pain she could remember ever feeling.   
  
Helena sat up and swung her legs off the cot. She began to feel very dizzy and nearly fell off the bed, but she grabbed the IV stand and kept herself up. She slowly slid off the bed and unto her feet. She was very wobbly, but she kept herself up by holding on to the IV stand. Helena noticed she was still wearing her hospital gown. No wonder why she felt a strong draft, and what made it worse was it was extremely short.  
  
She heard a buzz and she walked towards the far end of the cell, rolling the stand along and using it as a crutch. Coming into the room was Commissioner O'Reiley. "You're up out of bed already, amazing!"  
  
The Huntress was struggling to remain on her feet. "Why? Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"You must be confused right now. There no doubt that you know that I have done some rather shady things to apprehend you. Why, is not important, what is important is that I finally have you where I want you."  
  
"If it's not too much to ask, you could at least give me some decent clothes to wear."  
  
The commissioner laughed. "What you are wearing will soon not matter. The bullet I shot you with is a very special bullet. It was full of specially made toxin. The bullet did minimal damage itself, but it has pumped my little poison into your body. Slowly, your bloodstream will become contaminated. Your temperature will continually rise and begin to cook you alive. Your body will experience seizers. In short, you are going to die a slow, agonizing death. The next forty-eight hours, you are going to want death to overtake you, but it will not come until the end of the forty-eight hours."  
  
"I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"   
  
"Because your are the daughter of my greatest nemesis, Batman. Since he's to coward to show his face in Gotham, I will have to settle with his only daughter. I have planned this for over a year, and I have used this cover as a police commissioner to get to where we now stand. With you gone, New Gotham will become the playground to the criminal underworld. So enjoy your last few days of life." Commissioner O'Reilly laughed as he turned and headed out of the room.  
  
Helena turned around and leaned back on the plastic cell wall and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. Her life was coming to an end, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was going to die alone.  
  
* * * *  
  
Reese was over at the clock tower that morning, still upset about the night before. "I can't believe he is hiding her away from me like this."  
  
"It sounds like he suspects you still working with us," Barbara replied, putting her glasses onto the counter.  
  
"Then why string things along? Why doesn't he fire me or put me in jail if he suspects that?"  
  
"I have no answers for you," Barbara replied. "Something very unusual is going on here." Dinah came running down the stairs and unto the platform. "What's wrong, Dinah?"  
  
It took her a half of a minute to be able to talk after catching her breath. "The news! Turn on the news!"  
  
With a tap of a few keys on the keyboard, one of the flat screen LCD computer screens began showing the news. A reporter was standing outside of the New Gotham police station. "Last night, the Huntress was apprehended by the NGPS. She was admitted to the hospital early this morning, suffering a shot to her right shoulder. Unpresidently, only a few hours after surgery, she was moved to Arkham Asylum where in her cell, she will receive all medical attention until she can recover and stand trial for the murder of Officer John Davidson."  
  
Barbara turned off the broadcast, feeling sick to her stomach after hearing the report. Reese was beyond furious. "I don't believe what I just heard. She's already in prison!"  
  
"Then we're too late?" Dinah heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.   
  
Barbara was too stunned for words. She just shook her head and tried to reply, but no words came forth. Reese still had more steam to blow off. "Is he trying to kill her? He is going against everything I stand for as an honest police detective! Everyone has a right to recover from a dangerous surgery, yet he basically takes her off the surgery table and throws her to prison!"  
  
"I hate to say it, but there may be a shady background to your boss," Barbara said. "I will have to look into his bio. This was something I should have done when he first took his job."  
  
Reese did not hear her. He had pulled out his cell phone and dialed in to the police station and was waiting for a reply. "Yes, this is Detective Reese. Put the commissioner on for me."   
  
After a short minute, he came over the other line. "Well, are you well rested today, detective?"  
  
"What the hell are you thinking sending the Huntress to prison this short after her surgery! You are going to kill her!"  
  
"I did it, because she is extremely dangerous. She can disappear over night if we left her in the hospital. I though to avoid any chance for her to get out, I would have her treated in her prison cell."  
  
"Come on, you shot her in the shoulder, which was improper in the first place, and then you take her off the surgery table and put her in cell, with no time to recover, which is a risk on her health. There are protocols that we must follow…"  
  
"Don't you dare talk to me about protocols, detective!" Commissioner O'Reiley snapped. "You have been working side by side with a vigilante who thinks she's above the law, and you haven't done anything about it thus far. If you followed the protocols and obeyed the laws of New Gotham, you would have her arrested for endangering herself, and the innocent civilians of New Gotham. You have no right to accuse me of anything!"  
  
"The Huntress is doing something we can't, take on New Gotham's greatest villains. She has been a great alley for the police!"  
  
"But she is not a police officer herself, which gives her no authority by New Gotham to do the things she has been doing! Now, that is enough of your accusations, and get to this station this instant before you are out of a job!"  
  
Reese shook his head, thinking about what was said. "You know what? You can take this job and shove it up your ass! I quit!" Reese hung up and violent threw his cell phone into the wall, and his cell phone exploded into hundreds of pieces!"  
  
Barbara and Dinah stared at him in shock at his rage. It was Barbara who broke the silence. "Maybe you need to calm down a little, and rethink about what you have just done."  
  
"No, I am tired of working with a man who bends the rules when it pleases him! I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he was shady! As long as he is commissioner, I refuse to be associated with him!" Reese was breathing heavily after all the screaming. He began to try to calm himself down. "I'm going to break Helena out of prison."  
  
"Wait a minute, if you try to break her out, you will be throwing your life away! Let's think this through calmly."  
  
"The time for thinking is over. It's time for action." 


	5. Prison Break

CHAPTER 5  
  
The prison security guard shut the electricity off that flows into the metal gate and then opened the door for Detective Reese. They didn't know that he was no longer a detective and as far as he was concerned, they never had to know. "There you go, Detective Reese. Just hollar when ya' are ready to leave."  
  
Reese nodded as he entered the prison. The metal gate was closed behind him. He took a few steps in the room, and there was a large, plastic, octagon shaped cell. "Huntress?" Reese called out. No one came to the cell. Had this been another deception to keep her location a secret?  
  
Reese slowly approached the cell, and knew that it was not a deception when he saw her, still in her hospital gown, sitting on the floor, leaning on the far cell wall, holding onto her knees with the one good arm while the other was in an arm sling. "Helena!" Reese called out putting a hand on the plastic cell.  
  
Helena dizzily looked up with a smile on her face, while her head struggled to stay up like a drunk person. "Reese." Helena whispered.  
  
"I'm here, Helena!" Reese replied. Something was terribly wrong with her. On closer look, she was sweating terribly. The rim of the neck of the medical gown was soaked. "You don't look so good. Are you alright?"  
  
Helena didn't reply. Her head leaned back on the cell, and Reese could see the suffering in her face. Her face was ghostly white. She was breathing heavily as if it was a struggle for her. Reese turned and ran to the gate! "Hey, get a doctor in here quick! She's seriously ill in here!"  
  
With in moments, the gate was open and a security officer and the doctor with a brief case of medical equipment can into the room. The security guard opened the plastic cell door with a remote. "You two can go in."  
  
The doctor and Reese ran into the cell. They knelt beside Helena where the Doctor felt her forehead. "She's burning up! I was afraid of something like this!"  
  
Reese looked over at the doctor. That comment told him that he protested this treatment of her, which meant he may have just found a way to get her out of here. The doctor pulled out a stethoscope and placed it just under the gown on her chest. "Her breathing is very erratic. If something is not down quickly for her, she's going to die. I can't treat her here. Detective, please help me get her out of here to the hospital!"  
  
"Doctor, listen to me, I need you to help me. I need to get here out of here, but not to a hospital. I love this woman. I need to free her." Reese whispered.  
  
"She need's immediate medical attention, detective! She must go to a hospital!" The doctor whispered in protest.  
  
"I have access to everything she needs for medical attention, that's no problem."  
  
"What you are asking me to do is illegal, and can get both of us sent here for the rest of our lives and all for a murderer!"  
  
"She's not a murderer, doctor. She's a superhero. She protects Gotham, not harms it. She is being framed for something I know she didn't do, and I suspect that the commissioner might have something to do about it. Think about what he has done to her so far. Does sending her here just out of surgery sound legitimate to you?"  
  
The doctor thought about it for a second. "Can you assure me that she is innocent as you claim?"  
  
"Yes. I know she is innocent, because We have worked together to save Gotham more than once, but more than that, I love this woman, and I refuse to let her die or rot in prison before getting the chance to tell her that."  
  
"What's the plan then?"  
  
"I am a police detective. They will think that I will escort the both of you to the hospital. Will you come with us? We may have the resources to save her life, but your help would be greatly appreciated, as long as you can keep the hideout a secret."  
  
"I would prefer it that way, because I don't want to see her die like this," The doctor replied.   
  
"You're a good man, Doctor!"  
  
"Let's get her on the stretcher," the doctor said a little bit louder. The doctor picked Helena up from under her arms while Reese got her legs as they laid her on the stretcher.   
  
Reese stepped out to address the security officer. "I am escorting these two back to the hospital. She is deathly ill, and she needs medical attention."  
  
"The Commissioner said that she does not get moved from here for whatever reason."  
  
"She is going to die if we don't get her to the hospital!" The doctor said, stepping out from the cell. "I can't treat her here. She must be admitted back to the hospital!"  
  
"I will escort them personally and make sure that she does not escape. I don't think you will want to answer to the Commissioner O'Reiley when she dies, do you?"  
  
"No, sir! Let us just get a confirmation from the commissioner and then we'll lead you out!"  
  
"She won't last that long, for god's sake!" the doctor looked at the security officer in disbelief. "She has such a high temperature, that her body is literately cooking! She can be dead within the hour!"  
  
"Radio it in after we leave. Can't you see how bad she is?"  
  
The security officer looked over at Helena. Indeed, she was in bad shape. She was beginning to gasp for air and her body was slightly shaking. "Fine, hurry and get her to the hospital pronto!"  
  
"To my car!" Reese said. He and the doctor went back into the cell and rolled her out of the cell. "Lead the way," Reese told the security officer.   
  
The security guard ran through Arkham, with the doctor and Reese keeping up with him, rolling the stretcher as fast as it's wheels could move. As they were on the move, he looked over at the doctor and whispered, "Is she really that bad? Is she really running that high of a fever?"  
  
"Not yet, but she will if she doesn't receive medical attention quickly!"   
  
They finally reached the gate to the parking lot. The carefully brought the stretcher down the steps and then rolled it to Reese's car. Reese unlocked the car and opened the back door. He then helped the doctor pick Helena up and lay her inside the car on the back seat. When inside, Reese closed the door.  
  
"Thank you," Reese said to the security guard. He and the doctor happed into the car. Reese started the car and peeled off towards the front gate. The front gate opened for them and they were out of Arkham. 


	6. The Race to Save Helena

CHAPTER 6  
  
Barbara was very restless. She was greatly concerned about the well-being of Helena, and now on top of that, Jesse Reese has taken a huge risk in trying to break Helena out of prison. As of recently, she had been under a lot of stress. Right now, the stress was so high that her arms were involuntarily shaking a tiny bit. Danielle and Gibson was there with Dinah and no one knew what to say. Time was dragging by, and it was eating up at all four of them.  
  
Things began to stir as they heard the door open. "We need some help!" Reese called out.  
  
Dinah and Danielle ran towards the door to see Reese carrying Helena in his arms. Following him was the doctor, but at this point, his intrusion to the hideout was not important. "Oh my god, what's happened?" Dinah gasped.  
  
Reese ran past the girls to bring Helena to the platform. "She need's help! She's burning up!"  
  
"Dinah, go set up our emergency cot, hurry!" Barbara ordered. Danielle voluntarily followed Dinah to help her set up a cot. Barbara looked over at the doctor. "Who are you?"  
  
"He's with me," Reese said. "You can trust him. He helped me get her out of prison."  
  
"What's wrong with her, doctor?" Barbara asked, putting her glasses on.  
  
"I don't know. She's running a high fever, and that is all I know. I have not had the time or the equipment to find out her full condition."  
  
Dinah and Danielle had finished setting up the cot in the middle of the platform. Reese placed Helena gently on the cot. Helena was out cold and breathing very deeply as her face was drenched in sweat. Barbara placed a patch on her forehead with a wire connected to it leading to one of her computers. The doctor watched, intrigued at the technology she had available to her.   
  
Barbara also pulled out similar patch and placed them on the temples of Helena's wrist. Barbara controlled her wheelchair to the keyboard and punched a few keys and up on the center LCD flat screen monitor was her body temperature and her pulse rate. It was serving as her heart monitor and many other devices doctors used to measure a person's life signs. Helena's temperature was up to 101.3 degrees. "Her body temperature is continuing to rise.  
  
The doctor walked up besides Barbara to look at Helena's stats. "Perhaps an infection from the bullet wound? She has not really been staying in a sanitary location since getting out of surgery."  
  
"Let's take a look," Barbara replied. The two of them politely pushed the three others aside. The doctor carefully took Helena's sling off. Barbara reached under Helena's neck and untied the hospital gown. She gently pulled down the gown just slight past her shoulders. A large gauze bandage was taped to Helena right shoulder. Carefully and cautiously, Barbara pulled the tape off.  
  
Danielle, Dinah, Gibson and Reese watched, with grave looks on their faces as Barbara pulled off the slightly bloody bandage. There, on her bare shoulder was the incision and the thick black stitches. Surrounding the incision was blue streaks, almost looking like her veins. Her skin surrounding the incision was a dark yellow."  
  
The doctor shook his head in disbelief. "I have seen many things in my medical career, but nothing like this."   
  
"Are you saying, this is not typical of an infection?" Reese asked.  
  
"These blue lines are not. They're not blood vessels or her veins. I don't know what it is."  
  
Barbara was deep in thought as she stared at the strange sight. Barbara looked back at Helena's stats, and her temperature had gone up to 101.4 degrees. I have a hand held scanner where we can scan her entire body, and take a look at her blood flow, her skeleton, and her muscles."  
  
"How do you have access to all this technology?" the doctor asked in awe.  
  
"Well, when you're in the superhero business, you have to be prepared for all scenarios," she replied. "Unfortunately, the scanner can not scan through clothes, so I must ask you three men to wait outside for a while I do this. We will let you know when you may enter." Reese nodded as the three men made their exit.  
  
* * * *   
  
Commissioner O'Reiley entered the prison and there Harley Quinn was standing their with a smile on her face. "My love, how are things going?"  
  
Bane grinned devilishly. "Exactly as we had planned. Detective Reese has resigned from the police force and helped young Helena Kyle break out of prison. Our poison is some wonderful stuff."  
  
"It is, isn't it?" Harley grinned. "There is no cure for the poison, so Barbara Gordon and that little brat will get to watch her slowly wither away and die. She will die a slow, agonizing death, while she slips in and out of unconsciousness. Before Helena dies, she will know what it means to suffer. She is going to wish she was dead."  
  
"All we have to do now is relax, and wait until she is dead!" Bane smiled.   
  
* * * *  
  
Reese, Gibson, and the doctor were outside the hideout now for about thirty minutes. Reese was prancing around while the doctor was leaning back on the wall. "I am absolutely amazed at the technology that your friends have at their disposal. This technology is not available for the public."  
  
"They are in the super hero business. Of course they will have technology not meant for the public, but if this city hopes to keep on running, they need this technology. That is why I can overlook it. This city was nearly run into the ground by a villain named Dr. Harleen Quinzel. If it wasn't for these ladies, New Gotham would not be standing right now."  
  
"I don't doubt it," the doctor replied. "The secret is safe with me."  
  
"Listen, it's not up to me, but we really don't have professional medical personnel on the team. These women just can't go to any hospital and get the special attention they need. Maybe you would consider being their 'unofficial' doctor at their time of needs."  
  
"Listen, if any of them need my services, I will be happy to come and lend my professional services free of charge. Anything to help them continue doing what they do for New Gotham."  
  
The door opened and Danielle stepped out. "You two can come in now."  
  
The three of them followed her into the room and back up to the platform. Helena was on the cot, the medical gown was removed and now she was being covered by an electrical blanket. Helena was shivering underneath the blanket. The fever was at work.  
  
"Doctor, care to join me at taking a look at the results from the scan?" Barbara replied.   
  
The doctor stepped up besides her wheel chair as she punched the appropriate commands on the keyboard. On the screen was the computer generated body outline of Helena. The body outline was blue as at that moment, everything else in and out of the body frame was pitch black. "I'm pulling up the skeletal frame."  
  
Helena's skeleton filled up inside the body frame. She pulled up close ups of her right shoulder blade. "There is no remnant of the bullet left inside of her, and no skeletal damage as far as I can see, but I'm not a doctor."  
  
"You are correct. I see nothing out of the ordinary," he agreed.  
  
"I am now pulling up her muscle scan results." With a few swift punched of the keyboard, the skeleton disappeared from inside the body and it was replaced with red tissues and muscles of Helena's entire body. Again she did a close up to the shoulder since everywhere else in Helena's body looked normal.  
  
The doctor raised up his bifocals and leaned in for a closer look on the monitor. "There is the damage from the bullet," he pointed at tears in the muscle. "They have been repaired as much as possible. I see nothing out of the ordinary here. The rest of the damage will heal naturally.  
  
Barbara nodded. "Let's try viewing her blood flow." Barbara punched it into the computer. The muscles disappeared from inside the computer generated frame of Helena's body and replacing it was blue and red lines throughout the entire body, all leading to the location where the Heart would be, but the Heart itself could not be seen in this mode.   
  
"What does this mean?" the doctor asked pointing to the red lines that were dimming ever other second.   
  
"That's strange; the computer is having difficulties sensing the blood flow through her arteries." Barbara typed a few commands into the computer and over the red and blue lines, Helena's internal organs appeared.   
  
"The erratic beating of her heart shows that her heart is not receiving enough pure blood. It's enough to keep her from having a heart attack, but still, this is not a good sign."  
  
"I can't see any blood clots near her wounded shoulder, so that's not the cause of it."  
  
"So, what does all this mean?" Gibson asked.   
  
Barbara sighed as she looked over at her. "It means something may be wrong with her blood, and if something is not done soon, Helena will not survive." 


	7. The Black Serum

CHAPTER 7  
  
"I've just heard what's been happening!" Richard Greyson entered the room and ran up to the platform. "What's her condition?"  
  
"We're trying to figure that out," Barbara replied. "We think something is in the blood."  
  
"If there is something in her blood, it is not the result of the gun shot wound." The doctor said.  
  
"Let's take a blood sample," Barbara said, pulling out a syringe. The doctor took the syringe and approached Helena's left arm. The doctor pulled Helena's left bare arm from under the blanket and placed it on top of the blanket. He stuck the syringe in the upper part of her arm and began to suck out some blood. After he filled the syringe with the blood, He took it out of her arm, and immediately placed a bandage over the spot he had put the syringe into her arm.   
  
He looked at the blood he had taken and he was puzzled. The blood was not red as it was supposed to be, it was much darker than normal. It looked like her blood was turning black. "I don't understand, I have never seen anything like this."  
  
He handed the syringe to Barbara and she looked at and cursed under her breath. "You know what's going on?" Reese asked.  
  
"I've seen this symptom before, and it does not look good. Richard, you remember, right?"  
  
Richard took the syringe and looked at it closely. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking are you?"  
  
Barbara nodded. "Afraid so. What else can it be but the Black Serum."  
  
"Anyone care to fill us in?" Danielle asked.  
  
Richard decided to answer that question. "Awhile back, Bane had created a new poison, more potent than his venom. He called it the Black Serum. It is a poison that slowly kills it's victims as it contaminates their blood and turns the blood black. Slowly the organs reject the blood, and the victim feels every organ begin to shut down. It is the more horrific and torturous from of execution since the Romans invented the crucifixion. Bane was going to shower Gotham with this stuff, but we were able to stop him. That was the last we have seen or heard of this poison. However, we do not think Bane was alone in the creation of this. Rumors were spreading the Joker and Harley Quinn was the true inventor of this poison."  
  
"Harley Quinn is in prison, and the Joker is dead," Dinah pointed out.  
  
"True, but no one knows if Bane is dead or not," Richard reminded Dinah.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Reese replied. "Are you saying that this Bane character may just be alive and well in New Gotham as we speak? It was Commissioner O'Reiley who shot Helena!"  
  
Barbara's eyes widen in horror. "The bullet, introduced Helena's body to this poison. That much is sure. If what you say is true then, the commissioner…"  
  
"Is Bane in disguise," Richard completed her thought. "Damn it, this explains a whole mess of things!"  
  
"Okay, so Bane is back in New Gotham; to me, that seems to be not important at this very moment," Danielle said. "What's more important is trying to save Helena's life. Please tell me that you have concocted an antidote to fight this poison."  
  
Barbara shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "I've tried, but to no avail. There is no fighting this serum. There is no cure."  
  
"No, not good enough!" Reese pounded his fist onto the platform. "I refuse to sit here and just watch her die! There is something we can do to save her life!"  
  
"I'm not going to give up. I am going to work harder than I have ever worked to try to save Helena! You think that I can handle loosing her any more than you! I have raised her up like my very own daughter for these many years!"  
  
Reese looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap."  
  
"No, I'm sorry," Barbara replied, sitting back in her wheelchair.   
  
Richard walked up to Barbara and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Emotions are running very high between all of us right now. Helena means a lot to all of us. To Barbara, she's like a daughter; to Dinah, she's like older sister; to Danielle, she's her best friend. To Detective Reese, she's the woman the he is in love with. All of us need to work together here. While there may not be anything all of us can do, all of us can help by showing their support. Fighting amongst ourselves will not help in trying to save Helena."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement. Dinah stepped out with an excited look on her face. "Maybe there is something I can do. One of my new powers is in regenerating life-force. Perhaps I can help soak up some of the poison so Helena can fight this poison easier."  
  
"Absolutely not!" Barbara replied. "Doing so will kill you and can give no guarantee that it will work. I am not going to risk loosing the both of you. I appreciate your wanting to help, but I need your support more than anything."  
  
"I have no where to go anymore. I will stay here and keep Helena company." Reese offered.  
  
"We will all take turns keeping her company!" Richard replied.   
  
"Danielle and I will keep the bar closed so we can spend some time with her as well," Gibson offered.   
  
"No, you two can visit her during your off hours. Right now, I need you to keep your bar open, and keep your ears open. Perhaps you can learn something important about what really happened or if we're lucky, learn something about a cure for this poison."  
  
Danielle wanted to protest. How could she work and pretend everything is normal when her best friend was dying. However, she wanted to help Barbara anyway she could, and right now, complaining and protesting would not be showing her the support she needed. "We'll do our best!"  
  
Helena moaned from on her cot. Barbara immediately rushed her wheelchair over to her cot. "Helena, can you hear me?"  
  
"Bar…Barbara?" Helena moaned.  
  
"I'm here, Helena!" Barbara held Helena's left hand between both of hers.  
  
"It hurts." Helena face showed her to be in great agony.  
  
"We're doing everything we can for you. Don't you give up. You have to fight this thing."  
  
"Reese?" Helena couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't see anyone in the room at that moment.  
  
"I'm here, Helena." Reese stood on the other side of her, and placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face.  
  
Helena began to struggling to breath. "Don't leave."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, Helena." Helena fell back into unconsciousness. Reese looked up at everyone. "I'll take first shift." Reese looked towards Barbara. "Just please find a cure quickly."  
  
"I will not rest until I can find the cure."  
  
"I will lend my services to see if I can ease some of Miss Kyle's sufferings." The doctor offered.  
  
"Your assistance is greatly appreciated, Doctor…"  
  
"Call me by my first name, Bill."  
  
"Thank you for all you have done thus far, Bill."  
  
"It is my pleasure." 


	8. No Advancment

CHAPTER 8  
  
Detective Reese sat by Helena's cot alone. She was getting worse by the hour. Her body temperature was now 101.9 degrees. Her frail body was getting thinner with each passing hour. There was black under her eyes, something that Reese had never seen in his life. Seeing Helena in this condition was almost too much to bare.  
  
He took hold of her right hand and it was cold to the touch. He held her hand between both of his, hoping to warm it up. There was no movement of her fingers to show that she was even alive. He put her hand down and put the palm of his hand on the side of her face. Her face was still sweaty. Helena swallowed as she began to stir when he placed his hand on the side of her face. "Water."  
  
"I have some water here for you." Reese reached on the floor and picked up a glass of water. Reese gently lifted her head and brought the glass to her mouth so she could sip of the water. When she had stopped sipping the water, he placed the water back on the floor.  
  
"Reese?" Helena's voice was extremely raw and raspy. It was very hard to hear her.  
  
"I'm here, Helena. I'm not going to leave you."  
  
Helena tilted her head towards him and her eyes barley opened to look at him. "Tell Barbara…to stop. Let me go."  
  
"No, I will not let you give up like this, Helena. You fight this, do you hear me? Fight it!"  
  
"I…I Can't. Too weak."  
  
"Helena, you must not give up! I won't let you leave me like this. I love you Helena Kyle."   
  
Helena had already slipped back into unconsciousness. Reese stayed there besides Helena, not leaving her side for the slightest moment. He sat back down in his chair and waited, hoping for another chance to talk to her again.  
  
* * * *   
  
It was three in the morning, and Barbara was still going full force in trying to find a cure for Helena. Richard came out of the guest room and saw that she was still working away. He wiped his eyes and walked up the platform. Barbara pounded on the desk wildly as hard as she could.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Richard ran to her and caught one of her wrists before she broke any bones in her hand.  
  
Barbara's face was hidden by her hair, but he could swear he hear her sobbing. "I can't do it! Nothing I do will work! It's impossible!"  
  
"You can't give up on Helena now. She needs your help, more than ever. There is still hope as long as she has breath."  
  
Barbara looked up into his face, and her face was stained by the tears that have strolled down from her face. "I am loosing her, Richard. Helena is like a daughter to me, and there's nothing I can do to save her." Richard knelt down close enough to embrace Barbara in his arms and allow her to weep on his shoulder. "I can't loose her, Richard!"  
  
Richard didn't know what to say, so he decided it was best not to say anything. Barbara continued to let her emotions flow. The stress and her weariness was taking it's toll on her. "Listen, you need some rest. I'll continue you research for the next couple hours. I want you to take a nap." Richard held Barbara's head between his hands, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumb. "You've pushed yourself too long and too hard."  
  
Barbara sniffled, as her hands were shaking involuntarily. Barbara knew he was right. She could even control her hands to take her glasses off. Richard leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Go get some rest."  
  
Eavesdropping from the second level was Dinah, who was in her nightgown as she knelt down. She had heard the whole conversation. Tears were strolling down her the sides of her face. She climbed onto her feet and ran into her room and closed the door behind her. Dinah ran and leaped into her bed, and covered her face in her pillow and cried. She felt like she was loosing an older sister. It wasn't fair that this had to happen to Helena. She doesn't deserve this kind of suffering. There, in her bed, she cried herself asleep, sleeping on her left side facing Helena's bed across the room from her. Her bed was empty as if it had not been slept in for a long time.   
  
* * * *  
  
Helena had survived the night, but her body was in bad shape. She had lost over thirty pounds. Her body looked frail and fragile. She no longer looked like the Helena everyone knew. Reese was by her side once again. He had spent the most time by her cot than anyone.   
  
Barbara was once again working on trying to fight of this poison while Richard was asleep in the back room having awakened and been awake since three in the morning. Dinah was virtually sitting in a corner, unnoticed by anyone.   
  
There was silence between everybody. Everyone had Helena's condition in mind. Her body temperature was up to 102.5 and her heart beat was slowing. What they had feared would happen, happened. Helena's body began to convulse. Bill was there, ready for this scenario and had his bag of medical equipment. He pulled out a tiny bottle of insulin.   
  
Barbara stopped what she was doing and rushed over to help. Reese and Barbara held Helena's body down as Bill injected the syringe full of insulin into her upper left arm. In the back, Dinah was up on her feet, startled by the seizure. She was hiding in the shadow, as she watched helplessly the girl whom she thought of her sister, now convulsing.  
  
It took a few minutes, but the convulsion slowly drifted away. Everyone began to relax as this seizer had passed. Barbara sighed. "It's going downhill quickly, and still no progress on how to fight this poison."  
  
"And my medicine is doing minimal to lessen her suffering. This is beyond medical comprehension." Bill shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job on my end."  
  
"You're doing all you can do, doctor, that's all we can ask from you," Reese said patting him on the back. 


	9. The Sacrifice

CHAPTER 9  
  
Reese was alone with Helena. Barbara was getting some much needed rest. It has become almost a foregone conclusion that Helena was going to die. Nothing they had tried was effective against this poison. Much to Barbara's dismay, they had to give up their quest for the cure and spend time with Helena in her final hours. That's all Helena had left in her life. According to their projection, Helena would only be alive for another few hours. Her body temperature was now nearing 104. Seizers were becoming more frequent and the chances of a heart attack were growing more likely with every passing minute.  
  
Reese held Helena's hand in his hand and was petting the back of the hand. He looked into her grim looking face and brought her hand up to his face and kissed the back of her hand. "I can't believe it's going to end like this. There is so many experiences that we never got to share. You've wanted to live a normal life, and now that is being ripped away from you. I was going to show you the world, and what it's like to live a normal life."  
  
His eyes began to swell up as tears trickled down the sides of his face. "Damn it, this is not fair!" Reese stood up and bent over Helena and kissed her on her cold, lifeless lips.   
  
Dinah had watched from the second floor, looking from the railing. Her heart was broken, watching Reese mourn over Helena. Helena was going to die, and there was nothing Barbara, Richard, or Bill could do to save her. They said that the only thing for them to do is to be there for her as she is ready to pass away. Dinah refused to accept that.  
  
* * * *  
  
Dinah finally had a chance to be alone with Helena. She had been waiting patiently for this moment. She looked around to make sure the ghost was clear and then looked down at Helena. "Helena, I don't know if you can here me, I hope you can. I hope you understand what I am about to do. If you do, I hope you can help Barbara to understand, because I don't think she will. If you don't understand, then I hope that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me for what I am about to do."  
  
Dinah could only remember Barbara's warning that doing this would kill her. She knew that Barbara was right, that she probably would not survive, but at least Helena would have a fighting chance to live. She was ready to die for Helena. Helena had more to live for, including a man who loved her deeply. Before doing this, she had come to terms with herself and now was ready to die. She only hope her sacrifice would not go in vain.   
  
Dinah put her hands on Helena's head and closed her eyes. The first thing she was doing is to contact Helena. Dinah opened her eyes and found herself in the black and white world of Helena's conscious. Dinah heard a gun shot, and Dinah followed where the sound had come from. She entered an alley way and found a very young Helena weeping over her Selena Kyle, her mother. "Helena" Dinah called out to her, but she could not hear her.   
  
Dinah turned around an older Helena Kyle, more towards her current age. She was weeping over a body. Dinah took a step forward to see that Helena was cuddling Reese, who appeared to be shot. What memory was this? Reese wasn't dead; how could this be a memory? "Helena?"  
  
"Go away!" She cried.  
  
"Helena, it's me Dinah! This isn't real. Reese is not dead."   
  
"Leave me alone! Let me die already!" Helena still did not look back at Dinah.  
  
"No, I will not let you die! You have people who love you. Your death is going to kill all of us, mostly Barbara and Reese."  
  
Dinah looked up in the sky and saw the shadow of large, intimidating presence of a man. He wore a black mask with red stripes and had a tube connected to the back of his head. He was laughing mockingly towards Dinah. Was this Bane? If so, why was he here in Helena's consciousness? His shadow was like vast sea of darkness, and right now, Helena was in that sea of darkness. "Reese's dead, Barbara's dead, everyone's dead. Let me die!"  
  
"Helena, you must let me help you! They are not dead. None of this is real." Dinah pleaded desperately.  
  
Helena was not even acknowledging her presence. It was as if she was talking to a dream as she cuddled the dead body of Jesse Reese. It was time for drastic measures. Dinah took a deep breath and jumped into the shadow and as she did, her body began to soak in the most horrific pain that she had ever felt.  
  
It was at that moment, Helena acknowledge her as she looked around at her with horrified eyes. "No, Dinah! You're going to die!"  
  
"I'm not going without you. If I have to die to save you, I will!" Dinah cried as tears of pain soaked her face.  
  
Helena jumped to her feet. "Stop it, please! I don't want to loose you too!"  
  
Dinah feel to her knees, unable to find the strength to make it to Helena. The darkness was zapping all her strength. "I'm stuck in here now, and it's going to kill me. The only way to save me now is to save yourself."  
  
Helena slowly made her way to Dinah. "I don't have the strength to fight this. I don't have the strength to save you," Helena's wept. Streams of tears rushed down her face.  
  
"I will touch your skin and give you the strength. I will soak away some of the poison and help your white cells fight it. That will give you the strength."  
  
"It will kill you, Dinah!"  
  
"Nothing can help that, now. Take this last gift from me."  
  
Helena's heart was torn. How could she ask Dinah to give up her life for her? How selfish would that make her? Would Barbara blame her for Dinah's death? Time was running out, and she had to let her instincts make the decision, and her instincts was made clear when Helena reached down and grabbed Dinah by the arm.  
  
As their skins touched, Dinah closed her eyes and could see inside her body. The white cells in her body were quickly being overtaken by this strange black intruding cells. She began using her powers to regenerate her white cells.  
  
Helena slowly began to feel strength seep back into her. She pulled Dinah up and scooped her up into her arms. She slowly made her way back out into the light, but every step she took, the weight of the darkness pressed down on her. 


	10. A New Lease on Life

CHAPTER 10  
  
Barbara moved her wheelchair our of her room. Her face was moist from her weeping. Her heart was shattered, coming to grips that Helena was not going to live. She wanted to have some time waiting by the side of her cot, but she was not looking forward to it. Seeing Helena in her present condition was heart wrenching. She had been using the excuse of trying to find a cure to not have to look upon Helena. She forcing herself to do this, but she knew she was going to burst into tears.  
  
Barbara had the cot in view across the room, and her eyes looked upon it in horror. Dinah was there and she was trying to soak up the poison. She was going to kill herself to try to save Helena. "Dinah! No!" Barbara moved her wheelchair as fast as she could.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Each step Helena made towards the light was extremely difficult and took a lot of her. She had Dinah scooped up in her arms while she was soaking up some of the poison and strengthening the white cells in Helena body, but Dinah was loosing consciousness quickly. Her head was bobbing as she was struggling to stay conscious as long as possible. "Hold on, Dinah! Don't give up on me now!"  
  
Helena was pushing her body to the max. Her legs were buckling underneath her with each step that she took. Determination was her ultimate motivator. She was not going to let Dinah sacrifice her life to save hers. She was going to save Dinah, even if it killed her.   
  
Dinah could not fight it any longer. She slipped into unconscious in Helena's arm. "No, Dinah! Don't you die on me, you hear me, girl? You don't give up on me, and I won't give up on you."  
  
Helena continued taking steps towards the light, but each step was getting harder and harder for her. Her strength was once again draining out of her and the short distance from where she stood to the end of the darkness felt like it was getting farther and father away. The strain was too much, and Helena's legs collapsed from under her. She and Dinah fell to the ground.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Her wheelchair would not move fast enough, as the agonizing scream of Dinah echoed throughout clock tower. Her heart was beating faster than her chair was going. Dinah's agonizing scream was more than she could bare. Her eyes became moist and watery. "Dinah, stop it!"   
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Helena was loosing strength fast, and they were just feet away from the border of the darkness. "No, I can't loose! I will not loose!" Helena stumbled onto her feet and grabbed Dinah by the arm. She had no more strength to carry her in her arms, so she was going to have to drag her across. Helena slowly dragged Dinah towards the border. It was taking every ounce of remaining strength to pull Dinah.   
  
Helena's back finally crossed the border and soon her whole body was finally out of the darkness. With the light, new found strength began to flow into her. Helena grunted as with one final pull, she pulled Dinah out of the darkness.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Just as Barbara reached Dinah, she had let go of Helena and collapsed onto Barbara. Barbara laid her on the floor and slid out off the chair. She pulled Dinah's limp body onto her lap and cradled her. "Dinah, please don't die!" Barbara cried.  
  
Dinah's face was ghostly white, and her body was motionless. Barbara's tears fell onto Dinah's shirt as Barbara was franticly trying to look for a pulse. Her pulse was very light, which terrified Barbara to no end. "Come back to me, Dinah! Don't you dare die on me!"  
  
Barbara continued to cradle Dinah's upper body. As if awakening from a nightmare Dinah's eyes shot open wide and sat, breaking free from Barbara's arms. Barbara sat there stunned and confused as Dinah looked around. "Dinah?"  
  
Dinah looked behind her. "Barbara?"  
  
Barbara wiped the tears from her face, hoping that Dinah didn't see that she had been crying. "I thought you were dying?"  
  
"Strangely enough, I feel fine. It appears I didn't soak up enough poison to kill me. I don't know if I got enough to save Helena though. I'm sorry, Barbara. I had to do this. You and Detective Reese have been devastated, and I wanted her to live so badly."  
  
Barbara smiled as she pulled Dinah into her and hugged each other. Crying on each other's shoulders. They have both been through great turmoil these past thirty-six hours. Throughout that whole time, Dinah and Barbara had not once been alone together and talked about what was happening, or just to let out their emotions. Barbara wished to god that she had been there for Dinah instead of being selfish. She had not once considered how deeply Dinah was being affected by this.  
  
"Would you mind helping me up?" Barbara asked. Dinah was happy to oblige. Dinah grabbed Barbara's right arm and pulled her up enough to get back into her wheelchair. "No, I want to stand." Barbara grabbed Dinah's arm.  
  
Dinah used herself to be an object for Barbara to use to pull herself up onto her feet. "Thank you, Dinah,"  
  
Dinah had unintentionally place a hand on Helena's cot, so it was a further surprise to feel someone grab her wrist. Dinah turned around to see Helena's cold hand gently grabbing Dinah's wrist. "Helena!"  
  
Barbara stood besides Dinah, looking down at Helena. Helena's eyes were open and showed some minute signs of life in her eyes. "Thank you, Dinah!"  
  
Barbara looked up at the monitor to see that her body temperature had begun to drop. Her heart beat was starting to stabilize. "How are you feeling, Helena?" Barbara swiped a few strains of hair from in front of her face.  
  
"Hungry as hell." Dinah and Barbara laughed as they hugged each other in celebration.  
  
* * * *  
  
Barbara and Dinah were standing on the outside of the clock, looking out upon New Gotham as the sun began to set over the city horizon. It was one of the most beautiful times to view New Gotham from on top of the clock tower. It was a very peaceful, stress releasing way to end another day. "Mind if I join you two!"  
  
The two girls looked over to see Helena, being helped by Danielle, step out onto the ledge to join them. Danielle was by her side, guiding her every step, as she was still recovering from the near brush with death just under a week ago. She took a few baby steps before nearly tumbling, but Danielle had caught her before she fell very far.  
  
"Come here, Helena!" Barbara said as she pushed herself out of the wheelchair. She stood on her own feet besides her own wheelchair as Danielle helped Helena reach the wheelchair and sit into the wheel chair. "Right now, it looks like you need this more than I do." Barbara placed a hand on Helena's shoulder.  
  
Helena closed her eyes the warmth of the setting sun warmed her face. The fresh air filled her lungs and it was the best feeling Helena had in a long while. "Are you alright?" Dinah asked, seeing her face and was concerned that she may still be ill.  
  
"I feel more than alright. For the first time in awhile, I feel a new strength to go on fighting."  
  
"Helena, if you are troubled about something, you don't have to hide it from us. We're you're family, and we care for you. If you keep things bottled up inside of you, it will cause more harm than good."  
  
"I realize that now," Helena said, putting a hand on top of Barbara's hand on top of her shoulder. "Thank you, both of you." Helena smiled up at Dinah. Dinah returned her smile, as she put a hand on her other shoulder. Helena looked out at the beautiful sight. "It's great to be alive."  
  
THE SERIES FINALE CONTINUES. NEW GOTHAM IS ABOUT TO BE PLUNGED INTO UTTER CHAOS. WILL THE BIRDS SURVIVE THE COMING STORM? RAVEN RETURNS ONE FINAL TIME AS THE FINAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE HUNTRESS AND RAVEN TAKES PLACE, BUT IS RAVEN REALLY THE ONE THE HUNTRESS NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT? COMING NEXT IS:  
  
Episode 10: HELENA'S BANE  
  
FOR THOSE READERS ON FANFICTION.NET: THE NEXT EPISODE CONTINUES STARTING IN CHAPTER 11 OF THIS STORY. 


	11. HELENA'S BANE: Prison Break

FOR 9 STORIES, YOU HAVE READ THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF THE BIRDS OF PREY CONTINUING AFTER DEVIL EYES. NOW, THE JOURNEY HAS COME TO ITS END. THE 3 PART SERIES FINALE CONTINUES NOW!  
  
PREVIOUS STORIES IN THE O'REILEY SAGA  
  
Episodes 1 and 2 HUNTRESS THE HUNTED  
  
Episode 3 NIGHTWING   
  
Episode 4 WALKING ON AIR  
  
Episode 5 BLIND FAITH  
  
Episodes 6 THINK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL  
  
Episodes 7 FATHER'S DAUGHTER  
  
Episode 8 HELENA VS. THE HUNTRESS  
  
Episode 9 DAY OF RECKONING  
  
BIRDS OF PREY SERIES FINALE PART 2  
  
Helena's Bane  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
Harley Quinn stood in her cell which she had been in for nearly nine months. This small cell was maddening. She felt like a freak show locked behind a tiny plastic cell. She had been patient up to this point and was still in this cell preparing for the day that she and Bane had planned for. Now, at last, that time had come.  
  
A security guard entered the prison as scheduled. Harley grinned with devilish delight as she walked up to the plastic wall that was separating her from the security officer. As the officer walked up to the glass, Harley began to hypnotize the officer. The security officer stared into her eyes blankly. "I have another job for you. Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes," the security officer said, still under her hypnotic spell.   
  
"Good," Harley smiled. She looked back at the gate and saw Commissioner O'Reiley entering the cell with two police officers walking along side with him. "Make an announcement on the loud speakers to all the inmates that the time has come."  
  
"Right away."  
  
The security officer turned and walked past the commissioner and the two officers. Commissioner O'Reiley smiled up at Helena. "Open the door."  
  
"Sir?" One of the officers turned to him, not understanding why he wanted the cell door opened.  
  
The Commissioner pulled out his gun. "She won't try anything, now open the door."  
  
The officer looked up at Harley and shivers went down his spine. That women scared him to no end. Reluctantly, he pulled out the remote and with a push of a button, the plastic cell door was open. "Thank you, officer," Commissioner O'Reiley said as he pointed the gun at the officer. With a pull of a trigger, the officer's limp body collapsed in front of Harley as she stepped out of her cell.  
  
The second officer reached for his gun but Harley leaped over Bane and kicked the officer square in the chest. He stumbled backwards until he fell onto his back. Harley smiled down at the police officer with gleeful smile as she raised up her right foot. "Good-bye, officer." She stomped her foot down into his throat, crushing his Adam's Apple and snuffing the life out of his body.   
  
* * * *   
  
The hypnotized security officer walked back to his station where there was one other security guard sitting at the desk who was watching the monitors that displayed what the security camera picked up throughout Arkham. "Hey bill, how's the prisoner?" He did not reply. Instead he flipped a switch and activated the large microphone. "Bill?" the other security officer looked at him with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
Again, he did not reply. Instead, he picked the microphone up. "Attention all Arkham inmates…"  
  
* * * *  
  
All the inmate in Arkham lifted their heads to listen to the announcement. Security officers who were walking through Arkham, checking up on the inmates, listened up at the announcement, all wondering who was addressing the inmates.   
  
"You have all been informed on what is to take place here for the past nine months. Prepare yourselves, the time has now come."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Your freedom is now at hand!" The hypnotized security officer put the microphone and turned it off with a flip of the switch.  
  
The other officer smiled towards him. "Your job here is now complete." The officer jammed the palm of his hand into his throat, causing him to swallow his tongue. The security guard gagged, desperately gasping for air as he fell to his knees. His face turned purple as he collapsed forward as his heart beat for the last time. The other security guard grinned with delight as he looked down at the body. His body began to morph and now standing there above the dead body was Raven.  
  
"Good job, Raven." Bane said as he and Harley Quinn entered what used to be the security station. "Release the inmates."  
  
Raven was happy to oblige. Finally, her revenge would begin. Raven approached the station and pushed the red button. "Let the fun begin."  
  
* * * *  
  
Every prison bar and plastic cell door in Arkham opened simultaneously. The security guards looked around franticly, not sure what was going on. Unfortunately, they had no time to figure it out as all the inmates came racing out of the cell and quickly outnumbered and overcame all the security guards. 


	12. HELENA'S BANE: Raven's Father

CHAPTER 2  
  
The Dark Horse Bar was busy this night, busier than usual. Helena had not seen it this busy since the bar was still No Man's Land and she worked as the bar tender. Much to Barbara's dismay, Helena had wanted to enjoy life tonight. She was tired of sitting around the clock tower, constantly answering questions about how her shoulder felt.  
  
She was not going to hide any longer. Commissioner O'Reiley, who was the one who shot her, is none other than Bane. Somehow, she was going to reveal that to New Gotham and clear her name once and for all. As for right now, she was out to have some fun for the first time in a long while.  
  
Helena was hanging out at the bar where Danielle was behind the counter, and the two girls were laughing together as Helena drank a glass of diet coke. She has never cared for alcohol, and Barbara strictly forbade any alcohol consumption on her part, and Dinah's when she became of legal age.   
  
"It's really good to see you out and about, Helena. You really gave all of us quite a scare," Danielle said, getting serious for a moment. Having seen Helena on what was almost her death bed had disturbed her deeply. She truly had thought that she would never see her best friend again.  
  
"It's great to be alive, and it's even better to be out of the clock tower."   
  
"Can I ask you something personal?" Danielle leaned in and her voice dropped to a whisper.  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Before you were shot, you came to my room and was acting very weird. Was or is there still something bothering you? You can tell me, we are best friends."   
  
"Was I acting weird?" Helena pretended not to understand what she was talking about.  
  
"I don't know, but it seems like ever since you confronted the son of Scarecrow, you've lost any interest in being a hero or something."  
  
Helena finished her glass of Diet Coke, now being forced to talk about something she did not want to talk about. "I guess you're right. I am sick and tired of being the Huntress. Dinah is dying to be a hero just like me, but as for myself, I can't stand it any longer. All I want is to settle down with Reese and live a normal life. If Dinah only knew what being a hero means," Helena shook her head. "It means loneliness."  
  
"You really want to quit being the Huntress? I think what you're doing is cool. Anyone would die to have your courage and do what you are doing for this city."  
  
"Perhaps, but I never had the choice of doing this now did I? My mother was stolen from me and I had to avenge her. Doing this was the only thing that controlled my anger, but now I don't have any anger to control anymore."  
  
"I never realized what you were going through." Danielle said.  
  
"And how about you and Gibson? You have been dating for several months already?" Helena said.  
  
"I love him with all my heart. I'm ready to settle down with him. In fact, I have a suspicion that he is going to propose real soon," Danielle said excitedly.  
  
"I'm happy for you two," Helena smiled, taking a sip of her diet coke.  
  
"How about you and Reese? You two have known each other nearing two years now."  
  
"We are close, but I want to spend more time with him, while enjoy the life of normalcy before getting married," Helena said. "But he is definitely the one I am ready to retire for."  
  
* * * *  
  
Raven walked with Bane and Harley Quin amongst all the criminals that were formerly locked away in Arkham Asylum. Now, Arkham was their base of operations, fully under their control. "This is fantastic," Harley said with a smile. "We have Gotham's greatest criminal minds working together for one goal: to conquer New Gotham and kill the Huntress!"  
  
"The Huntress is mine, and no one else's," Raven looked at Harley threateningly.  
  
"She's all yours, Raven, when we have your morphing formula," Bane replied.  
  
"It's already here, enough for three syringes for every criminal here," Raven replied. "Here are the instructions to continue making the formula in the slim case that I am killed."  
  
"Just as I wanted, excellent," Bane said.  
  
"I'll hand this over to the man that will be in charge of continuing the production of your formula."  
  
"What?" Raven said in surprise.   
  
"Here he is, now!" Bane grinned.  
  
Raven turned to see the last person she had expected to see. "Raven, my daughter. Long time no see."  
  
"Clay Face!" Raven growled with extreme hatred. She turned to face Bane. "You son of a bitch!"  
  
"Hey, it's up to you what you want. Do you want to be part of our plan or do you want to kill the Huntress yourself. Which is more important to you?"  
  
"Damn it!" Raven muttered. She looked at Clay Face with extreme hatred. "I should kill you now on the spot!"  
  
"Bring it on daughter. You tried to kill me. My own flesh and blood tried to murder me. How do you think that made me feel?"  
  
"That's because you deserve to die you son of a bitch!" Raven replied. "So I must chose? Fine, the Huntress is going to die, and then you!" Raven said pointing to Clay Face. Raven walked away but with a grin on her face. They are bigger fools than she had thought. The formula can only be made by a sample of her own DNA. The power to morph was her natural ability, and it was her DNA that made the formula work, and those stupid fools didn't even know it.  
  
* * * *   
  
"Perhaps we have made a mistake in letting her go? Her blood is needed to make the formula?" Harley looked over at Bane.  
  
"Don't you worry about that, my love. Her husband had the exact same powers and I have his body on ice, protecting his blood. There is enough blood in the body to make enough formula for every criminal here at Arkham for the next ten years. If she dies, which her body will provide an additional ten years. We don't need her alive any further."  
  
"You are devilishly clever!" Harley smiled.  
  
"Just wait until you see what I have for you on your Birthday."  
  
"I can hardly wait!" Harley leaned into Bane as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The two of them kissed.  
  
"Ahem," a voice interrupted their kiss. The two of them broke of the kiss and looked at the intruder agitatedly. "What is it you want, David Crane?"  
  
"I want permission to be excused for five minutes. There is one thing I want to do before we take over Gotham. I have a debt to collect!"  
  
"Fine, go and do your business," Bane said waving him off like a pesky fly. 


	13. HELENA'S BANE: The Proposal

CHAPTER 3  
  
Jonathon Crane was in his mansion, sitting in his recliner with a mug of coffee in hand. His walking cane was lying beside the recliner. He was sitting by the fire, despite the warm spring temperatures outside. This had become more of a habit that he enjoyed doing every night.   
  
"Hello, Father." A voice came from behind him.   
  
Jonathon reached down for his cane and he slowly stood up and turned around to see his son standing there at the doorway. "How the hell did you get out of prison?"  
  
"It's like I warned you, my stay in Arkham would be a short one. Now, along with every master criminal mind in Arkham, New Gotham will be ours."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Jonathon looked at his son confusingly.  
  
"What I am saying is that every inmate in Arkham is now in control of it. We own Arkham, and soon we will own New Gotham. It kind of shows how pathetic of criminal master mind that you were," David said with a grin. "All thanks to Bane.'  
  
"Bane?" Jonathon Crane said in horror. "I beg of you son, be no part of his sinister plan. He is a mad man, beyond reasoning."  
  
"He is a brilliant leader! Besides, you don't have to worry, you won't be around to see it," he ripped out a hand gun from his pants and fired it at his father. He fired all six round, all six hitting Jonathon. He collapsed, landing near the fire place. "Burn in hell, father!" He turn around and exited as the clothes on the dead body of Jonathon Crane began to catch fire from being too close to the fire place.  
  
* * * *   
  
Helena, Reese, and Dinah joined Barbara and Richard on the platform when Barbara had the Helena and Dinah summoned: Reese tagged along side with Helena. "What's up?" Helena asked, gently messaging her right shoulder blade which was still very sore from being shot.  
  
"Over the night, Jonathon's Crane's mansion burnt down to the ground. His burnt remains were found in the living room, which the fire chief believes to be the starting point of the fire."  
  
"Would David Crane actually go that far and kill his own father?" Dinah said in disgust.  
  
"He's safely put away in Arkham. It could not have been him," Helena pointed out.  
  
"Exactly, it makes me wonder if he hired someone to kill his father for helping us send him away to prison, but then again, we have no evidence of any of this," Barbara said shaking her head.   
  
"You have a gut feeling that this murder is something substantial to worry about do you?" Richard asked.  
  
"How can I not? We now know that Commissioner O'Reiley is Bane. We don't know what he's up to. I have feeling that we are going to find out very soon, and I think this murder is a prelude to what is to come. We need to keep our eyes open."  
  
"Will do," Helena replied.  
  
* * * *   
  
Gibson and Danielle were eating lunch out at a fancy restaurant. Since they had to work at the bar during dinner, they had to settle for a romantic lunch at a fancy five star restaurant instead of dinner. They had just finished the main course and had ordered their deserts. "The dinner was fantastic, Gibson," Danielle said with a smile.   
  
Just looking at Danielle made Gibson loose his train of thought. She was amazingly stunning. She was dressed in a very beautiful red dress with sparkles. The collar was V shaped, which made her body feature all the more hotter. It was clear that she had spent close to a hundred dollars on her hair. He had never before seen her hair so beautiful. "Yea, it was quite good," Gibson said. He was a little more nervous than he usually was.  
  
"Gibson, is there something wrong? You seem a little more nervous than you usually are?"  
  
"Well, huh, there's something I wanted to ask you," Gibson stumbled with his words.  
  
"Well, are you going to ask me or what?" Danielle laughed. She knew what the question was, and her heart beat with excitement.  
  
"Okay, here it goes," Gibson said, taking a deep breath. "Danielle, I know we have known each other for only a few months, but those few months have been the best months of my life. I don' remember when the last time I was so happy. Well, that's not true. The last time I experience the thrill of extreme joy was exactly five years, 8 months…"  
  
"Gibson," Danielle gave him the look to tell him to quit it with the calculations.  
  
"Oops, sorry!" Gibson realized what he was doing. "Anyway, but I am happier now than I have ever been. I love you, Danielle. Will you marry me?" He pulled out a small black box and opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring.  
  
She had been expecting this moment, but it still hit her harder than she thought it would. Tears strolled down the side of her face. The ring was beautiful. It was perfect. She covered her mouth as she laughed with joy. "Yes. I'll marry you!" 


	14. HELENA'S BANE: A Message For Helena

CHAPTER 4  
  
Helena and Reese were up in the kitchen eating a sandwich for lunch which Alfred had made for them. After making the sandwich, Alfred gave the two of them some privacy. "So, you really quit your job for me before learning that the commissioner is Bane in disguise?" Helena said.  
  
"Yes, I did," Reese replied. "I thought his treatment of you was beyond any explanation, and I was not going to tolerate it. You're more important than my job."  
  
Helena smiled. "And you are more important to me than me being the Huntress. I love you."  
  
The two of them put down their sandwiches and leaned over the Island. Thy kissed there in the kitchen, neither of them wanting the moment to end.  
  
Watching from the first level was Barbara sitting in her wheelchair. Seeing the two of them together again seemed right. They were madly in love with each other. Richard came up from behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "They do make a beautiful couple, don't they,"   
  
"They do," Barbara agreed. "That's why I think after we deal with Bane, it's going to be over. I think it will be best to let her go free and live the life she always wanted. Dinah and I will continue on our own," Barbara said with a sigh.  
  
"There's no other way. Since she released the anger built up inside of her, she doesn't have the focus to continue the hero business much longer. It will only be a matter of time before these circumstances will again overcome her and she will go mad again. She has to want to be Huntress by choice, and not forced into it."  
  
"I know," Barbara replied. "All I want for Helena is to be happy, and if that means I have to let her go and be her own woman, then so be it, but it will not be the same without her."  
  
"Some times, people were not meant to live a superhero's life for very long. Tim Drake was one of those people. Truthfully, there are very few who live their entire lives as heroes. You and Bruce are the only ones who had remained in the hero business since the beginning. I retired for many years, so not even I stayed through the end. I'm not planning to stay in the hero business. As soon as Bane is put away, then I'm heading back to retirement, and hoping to spend more time with you."  
  
Barbara looked up at Richard with a loving smile. She stoodup out of her chair, without using the handles of her wheelchair, and walked into his arms. Richard embraced her with his arms, and brought his head down and kissed her across the lips. Her body melted in his arms, as she closed her eyes. She floated in the river of pleasure.  
  
* * * *  
  
Alfred was in the clock tower alone that night. Helena and Reese went out for a romantic evening, taking the night off to rest up for the coming storm of violence that they were expecting to hit. Barbara and Richard also went out to spend some time alone. Dinah had gone out roaming New Gotham, in case something did happen.   
  
Every security features were activated and running making Alfred feel a little safer. All this talk about a coming storm of violence had him spooked out. He had finished doing his dinner dishes, and enjoyed a night of peace and quiet. He walked up the staircase leading to the second floor when he heard the sound of glass shattering.  
  
"What was that?" Alfred said to himself. Suddenly, jumping out of Helena and Dinah's room was Raven.  
  
"Hiya, old man!" Raven said with a grin on her face. She twisted on her left ankle and kicked Alfred across the face. Alfred crashed into the railing. He weakly tried to pull himself up using the railing. Raven grabbed Alfred by his suit and threw him into the island in the middle of the kitchen. Alfred was semi-conscious lying on the floor, leaning up against the island. Blood was trickling down the side of Alfred's face. "I could not have planned this better myself. While the cats are away, the mice shall play!"   
  
Raven looked down at the pathetic old man in front of her. "Don't take this personally. I have nothing against you. This is strictly a message for the Huntress." She grabbed a knife from the kitchen draw and knelt down in front of Alfred. With violence, he rammed the blade into Alfred's left shoulder, pinning him to the island. Alfred gasped in pain as pain ripped through his left shoulder blade.  
  
Raven laughed as she stood up and turned towards the railing. She jumped and flipped over the railing and fell to the first floor, landing on her feet. Raven gave herself the tour as she walked up to the ramp. "All the computers and technology; impressive! I can't say I ever paid much attention to them until now."  
  
Raven looked to her left when she heard one of the computers beep like crazy. Raven looked onto the monitor screen. "Ah, this must be Delphi, or rather, it was Delphi." Raven pulled out a hand gun and shot Delphi's CPU. The computer exploded into sparks and flames. She spun around and began shooting all the computers and monitors on the platform. When she was done, the whole platform was a mess with smoke rising and computers on fire. "I think I made my message clear!" Raven laughed. 


	15. HELENA'S BANE: CHAOS REIGNS

CHAPTER 5  
  
Barbara and Richard returned to the Clock tower, when her pager went off. Her pager was directly linked into Delphi, so when Delphi sounded, her pager would go off. For some strange reason, however, her pager had cut off sharply. The Pager was supposed to keep on vibrating until she reached Delphi and turned off the page.   
  
The moment the front door opened and they entered the door, she knew something was terribly wrong. She could smell smoke. "Alfred?" Barbara called as the two of them looked around.  
  
"Look!" Richard pointed up to the platform. He pointed to smoke rising from the platform. Barbara and Richard went onto the platform to see all the computers and Delphi destroyed and smoking. "What the hell happened? Everything is destroyed!" Richard said in disbelief.  
  
"It had to be Raven. She is the only one who can get through our defenses," Barbara said agitatedly. "Where's Alfred though?"  
  
"Hey Alfred, where are you?"  
  
There was no reply. Barbara began to fear the worse. It was not like Alfred just to take off, nor was it not like him to not show up when someone returns home.   
  
"Oh my god, I think I see him," Richard said looking up towards the kitchen. He took a running leap off the platform, and nearly flew up over the railing to land on the second floor. There he found Alfred leaning up against the island with a knife pinning him to the island through his left shoulder blade. "Oh my god! Barbara, we need to get him to the hospital, quick! He's been stabbed!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Raven broke down the door to Danielle's apartment and was ready to begin a fight, but she was not home. It was a pity, she was hoping to kill her. Raven looked around the two room apartment. It was an absolute pig sty. The bed was not made, and clothes were all over the floor. "A pity she's not home. Oh well." Raven pulled out a lighter and ignited it. She dropped the lighter on the bed before turning around to exit out of the apartment. The mattress had caught on fire when she closed the door and made her way for the elevator.   
  
The next door neighbor, an elderly woman, saw Raven come out of apartment, and closing the door behind her. "Excuse me, but who are you? You don't own that apartment?" She looked at the door that Raven had come out of to see smoke coming out from the bottom of the door. "What did you do? I'm calling the police!"  
  
Raven looked at the elderly woman with a grin on her face. Without saying a word, she leaped a foot of the ground and spun around and kicked the elderly woman across the face, sending her crashing into a wall, rendering her unconscious. Raven chuckled as she made her way for the elevator.  
  
* * * *  
  
Helena and Reese returned to the clock tower after a romantic time alone. Helena placed her hand on the black screen as it read her hand print. The black screen turned blue and the door opened on it's own. The two of them entered the hideout, with Reese closing the door behind him. Richard was alone in the hideout on the platform. "Hey, Richard, where's Barbara?"  
  
"Wait a minute, do I smell smoke?" Reese said smelling the air.  
  
"We were paid a visit, we think, by Raven," Richard replied.  
  
"I am getting sick of that bitch!" Helena said agitatedly. "What did she do?"  
  
"She destroyed Delphi and our entire computer network. She has also deactivated and destroyed all of the clock towers security defenses."  
  
"So we're blind and defenseless!" Dinah came walking through the front door, hearing the conversation between the three of them. "I was wondering no one was trying to contact me on the field."  
  
"I'm afraid Raven did more damage than that. I'm afraid she attacked Alfred."  
  
"What? Is he okay?" Helena asked.  
  
Richard sighed. "Raven stabbed him with a kitchen knife in the shoulder. He has been taken to the hospital where Barbara is waiting to hear something."  
  
"That's it, it's time that I end this with Raven once and for all," Helena said angrily.  
  
"If this is Raven, Helena, then I think that's her idea as well."  
  
* * * *  
  
All the criminals were gathered in the front lobby, which was the only large enough room for every criminal in Arkham to gather. Directly in the middle of the crowd was Bane and Harley Quinn. "The time that I have promised all of you has come! You have all received your first injection of the formula. That will last you about twenty-four hours. After which, you will return here. This next twenty-four hours is just a sample of what you will be able to do. After the twenty-four hours, return here for your 2 more days free samples of the formula. So you will have three days to make money to buy as much of the formula you want. Rob the banks, Rob New Gotham down to the ground! The city belongs to you!"  
  
Everyone cheered as they raced towards the exit. Bane and Harley Quinn watched with enthusiastic looks as their master plan was launched at full force. There was no stopping it now. 


	16. HELENA'S BANE: New Gotham in Chaos

CHAPTER 6  
  
Danielle and Gibson were walking together, holding hands, on their back to Danielle's apartment. Danielle couldn't stop looking down at the engagement ring that Gibson had given her. She absolutely loved the ring. Nothing could bring her down from her emotional high that she was experiencing that moment. She was the happiest woman in the world.   
  
"I will gladly take over for you tonight at the bar, if you would like?" Gibson offered.  
  
"That's alright, I think I can handle it," Danielle said cheerfully. "Before I prepare to open the bar, I want to show everyone in the clock tower my ring."  
  
A fire truck raced past the two of them, with it's siren and horn blazing. "Wow, I wonder what's going on." Gibson said.  
  
They watched the fire truck drive down a few feet past them before stopping in front of another parked fire truck. A home complex of apartments were on fire. The flames were shooting high into the sky. Horror came over Danielle when she realized that her apartment was in that complex that was burning down to the ground. "Oh my god, that's my home!"   
  
The two of them ran as close to the action as they were allowed by the yellow tape. "My home!" Danielle cried. "All my stuff… is gone!"  
  
Gibson brought Danielle into his arms and embraced her as she cried on his shoulder. Gibson could not believe that something like this could happen at such a bad time. They had just gotten engaged and now everything Danielle owned and her home was destroyed.  
  
* * * *  
  
Barbara rolled her wheelchair into Alfred's room. He had just been taken out of the recovery room and put into his room. Alfred lay there in his cot peacefully. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth. He was connected to a heart monitor. Blood was being pumped into him through his lower arm. Barbara moved up to the side of his cot.  
  
Alfred's eyes fluttered open and his head slightly tilted in Barbara. "Miss. Barbara," He said, with his voice barley audible.  
  
Barbara smiled. "How are you feeling, Alfred?"  
  
"I've been better, Miss Barbara," He replied. "I'm sorry."  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Alfred," Barbara said. "I just need to know who did this to you?"  
  
"It was that Raven character," Alfred said. "She's after Miss Helena."  
  
"I had a feeling it was her. You rest up now, you'll be safe here. Don't worry about Helena. I'll make sure she is safe."  
  
Alfred smiled faintly before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.  
  
* * * *  
  
Helena, Reese, and Dinah were helping Richard clean up and throw away the destroyed computers. "It looks like Barbara won't be able to communicate with us for awhile, not to mention also being out of the loop of knowing what is going on in New Gotham."  
  
"When Barbara returns, I'll head out to a Radio Shack and pick up a police scanner. It's kind of limited, but it'll have to do until we can build replace Delphi." Richard replied.  
  
"Helena!"   
  
Helena turned around to see Gibson and Danielle enter the clock tower. From the look on Danielle's face, something was terribly wrong. "Danielle, what's wrong?"  
  
"My apartment complex burned down. I've lost everything," Danielle muttered.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Danielle." Helena walked up to Helena and gave her hug.   
  
Gibson saw the mess on the platform. "What happened here?"  
  
"We're not sure, but we think Raven has come looking for me again. Whoever it is, he or she means business. She destroyed all our computers, including Delphi, destroyed our security defenses, and attacked Alfred. Alfred was taken to the hospital and Barbara is there right now with him."  
  
"That bitch! She burned down my complex, I know it!" Danielle said bursting out in anger.  
  
"Calm down, Danielle!" Richard replied. "We will get her. Let's not loose our heads over this. We've got to remain calm and collected if we want to beat her."  
  
Danielle nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, I was having such a good day until now."  
  
Helena looked down and saw the ring on Danielle's finger. "Is that a ring I see on your finger?"   
  
Danielle smiled, as a lit bit of the joy she had felt earlier in the day began to return. "Yes it is." Danielle gave Helena her hand and showed her the diamond ring. "Gibson and I are engaged."  
  
"Engaged! That's wonderful!" Dinah said excitedly.  
  
"That is wonderful! I'm so happy for you two!" Helena said looking at both of them.  
  
Barbara came rolling into the hideout in her wheelchair. Richard ran to her side from the platform. "How's Alfred doing?"  
  
"He's going to pull through," Barbara replied. "It is as we feared, Raven is back."  
  
"She is really making a statement. We think she is also responsible for burning down Danielle's home," Richard said.  
  
"Thank goodness that you are safe. If you were at your apartment, she may have tried to kill you to. She has become more dangerous than ever. She is determined to bring this conflict to and end." 


	17. HELENA'S BANE: Raven Leaves Another Mess...

CHAPTER 7  
  
Bane and Harley Quinn had all of Arkham to themselves. In a few short hours, night fall would come, and all of New Gotham's criminals will rob the city blind. All the money will come to them to buy their morphing formula, and they will be rich beyond imagination. New Gotham will be theirs to run. It was the perfect plan. The Huntress and Oracle had not of anything of what was really happening. They will never get to know the truth, Bane would make sure of that.  
  
Bane had found an excuse to be excused from Harley's presence for a few second in order to meet with David Crane. "Thank you for staying back for awhile."  
  
"Hey, if it's about what you and I have planned for your girlfriend's birthday, it would be my pleasure."  
  
"It is," Bane grinned. "The time has…" A sharp pain swept over Bane in the chest. He began to clinch at his chest, gasping for air. The skin on his face began to wrinkle up.  
  
"Here," David said, pulling out his syringe of morphing formula. He injected it into his arm, and his face began to morph back into the young Commissioner O'Reiley face.  
  
"My gratitude, Mr. Crane. It appears the many years of venom has taken it's toll on me. That morphing formula is the only thing keeping me alive." He ripped his shirt open to reveal a glowing yellow button connected to a special black vest. He tapped on it once and his body began to convulse. He closed his eyes as venom was pumped into his body. His muscles began to expand back to where it was. He had found a way to get rid of the tube that connected to the back of his head to receive his dose of Venom. Now, the venom is pumped into him from underneath the vest into his chest. "Anyway, the time has come. Tonight, Harley and I will celebrate her birthday, I want her birthday to be explosive, as we have discussed.  
  
"I'll get on it right away," David grinned.  
  
* * * *  
  
  
  
Raven broke into the high school, and walked down the hall. There was still day light enough to see her way around the school. The school was perfectly empty since it was officially spring break. She made her way to the teacher's offices and found the door labeled Barbara Gordon. She violently kicked the door open and entered her office.   
  
Raven grinned as she looked around a perfectly kept office full of books, folders, and papers. Raven saw a picture from on the wooden desk and she picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of her and that new hero she knew very little about. If she remembered correctly, his name was Nightwing. "Oops," She said as she dropped the picture on the floor, causing the glass of the frame to shatter.   
  
* * * *   
  
"Are you sure you want to work tonight? I'll gladly work the bar tonight," Gibson offered Danielle once again.   
  
"Thanks Gibson, I will be fine. In fact, maybe it will get my mind off of the loosing my home. Speaking of which, it is very nice of you to let me stay here," Danielle said, turning to look towards Barbara.  
  
"We'll glad to have you stay with us," Barbara said.  
  
Richard came running into the hideout from the front door. "I stopped by the mansion to see if we can find something to use better than a police scanner to replace Delphi when I stopped by the answering machine. Detective Jacobs called for you. Your office at the school has been utterly trashed. Someone painted on one of your walls, 'The Huntress shall die!"  
  
"Another message from Raven," Barbara frowned. "Perfect, now the police suspect me of working with the Huntress. That makes four of us who are now wanted by the police."   
  
"This is going too far," Helena said frustrated with this whole situation. "Why can't she just come to me, since it is I she wants instead of involving all of you."  
  
"Hey, if you are thinking about taking Raven on alone, you've got another thing coming," Reese said, walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're all in this together."  
  
"I hate to leave at a time like this, but I have to open the bar in two hours. I need to head on over and prepare to open up."  
  
"Since I live under the bar, let me walk you over," Gibson volunteered. 


	18. HELENA's BANE: The Final Confrontation B...

CHAPTER 8  
  
Helena knew that the time for confronting Raven was at hand, and this time it was going to be a fight to the finish. Everyone seemed to know the same thing and was on edge. Reese was one of those people. He walked up to Helena who was staring out at the New Gotham as the sun was now set. "I'm coming with you and Dinah to find Raven."  
  
"No, she'll kill you in an instant. I don't want to loose you," Helena objected.  
  
Reese smiled. "You won't loose me Helena. I have an idea on how to finally clear your name from the murder charge."  
  
Helena looked at him with a puzzled look. "How?"  
  
"While you and Dinah are fighting Raven, I am going to contact the police and have them watch your fight."  
  
"How will that help? Raven will run off and I will be hauled back to Arkham."  
  
"From what I hear, Commissioner O'Reiley has not been seen in over forty-eight hour at the precinct. By now, they are in chaos and don't have an authority over them. They don't know that their boss is Bane. Anyway, Raven wants to end this war as badly as we do, so she's not going to run away this time. She's going to stay until that last woman standing. They will see her morph for their own eyes and then I can convince them that she was the one to kill that police officer. It will at least start a further investigation where you will not have to go to prison."  
  
"It's awfully risky," Helena replied. "It's worth a try."  
  
"I think it's time we go find Raven."  
  
"Let's do it," Helena replied.   
  
Reese and Helena entered back into the clock tower to find Richard, Barbara, and Dinah on the platform, trying to hook up new computers to replace the ones Raven destroyed. "Dinah, let's head out. It' time we take on Raven."  
  
"I wish I can be in radio contact with you two, but our system is down for the count. You two are going to be on your own out there. I can not help you in any way."  
  
"I will be out there with them," Reese said, and I have an idea that will make sure Helena and Dinah are safe. Trust me, Barbara, I will take care of them."  
  
"I trust you, Reese. I still wish I was capable of following what's going on. Then again, Helena, this is the perfect time for you to go without aid. Consider this your final exam which will complete your mentorship with me. It's time for you to learn to think on your own."  
  
"I understand," Helena replied.  
  
"Now that I think of it, Dinah, I want you to stay here. This is Helena's test alone. She needs to do this alone," Barbara said, changing her mind.  
  
"I understand," Dinah said.  
  
"Okay, Reese. Let's go."  
  
* * * *   
  
Helena and Reese were walking through the streets, figuring that Raven will find them sooner or later. "How are you feeling?" Reese asked.  
  
"A little nervous. This is the first time I've gone out to battle without Oracle backing me up."  
  
"You'll do fine. You're ready to fly on your own," Reese said, holding her hand between the two of his.  
  
"I might be ready, but I don't even want to be the Huntress."  
  
"After you beat Raven, you are one step closer to your dream of normality. After Raven, we have to find Bane, and then take him down."  
  
"One problem. We have to survive first. I have a real bad feeling that when it's all said and done, one or more of us will be around to enjoy the victory."  
  
"Hey, I think we had this talk once before, when Dr. Quinzel took over the clock tower."  
  
"I remember it," Helena grinned.   
  
The two of them continued to walk down the streets of the New Gotham. They stayed on the streets less traveled by since that would make a likely place to find Raven. They had been walking around for more than an hour without one trace of Raven to be found. "I don't get it; where could she be?"   
  
The next thing they knew, some came jumping behind them sending the two of them flying in separate directions. Reese hit the ground, and scraped his arms on the asphalt. He stood up to see Raven paying no attention to him. She was focused in on Helena. This was his chance. He dashed to the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. He pulled out his new cell phone and dialed 911.  
  
Raven and Helena stared at each other with hatred in their eyes. Raven laughed, breaking the uneasy silence between the two of them. "You are pathetic, Huntress. I have been waiting a long time to kill you. Nothing is going to stand in my way."  
  
"Bring me what you got, Bitch!" Helena replied.  
  
Raven charged at Helena and began with two quick and swift punches. Helena blocked both of them with her arms. Raven quickly twisted on her left ankle and went to spin kick Helena across the face. Helena ducked under the kick and grabbed her left ankle with both of her hands. She pulled Raven's ankle, causing her to fall onto her back. Helena leaped up into the air and back flipped away from Raven to land on her feet a few feet away. The two of them again stared at each other with extreme hatred. 


	19. HELENA'S BANE: Helena vs Raven

CHAPTER 9  
  
Richard and Dinah had gone down to the bottom of the clock tower to bring up some new computers to try to get them hooked up. Barbara was in her wheelchair, checking on cables and discarding cables that were damaged. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Oh good, you're back, Richard. I…" She looked up to find that it was not Richard standing behind him, it was David Crane. "What the…"  
  
David punched Barbara across the face, knocking her out cold. David laughed as he looked around the clock tower. "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Quinn."  
  
* * * *  
  
Three police cars came to a squealing halt. Just as they had stopped, Raven landed onto of the hood of the car. Raven flew upward to land on her feet on the hood. She leapt off the hood and ran after Helena. The police officers from all three cars jumped out of their cars with their guns pointing towards Helena.  
  
"Wait!" Reese stepped in front of the line of fire. "Don't shoot!"  
  
"Detective Reese?" One of the officers called out.  
  
"Yes, it's me Brian," Reese replied. "You must let this fight go on to it's completion."  
  
"The Huntress is wanted for murder. He murdered one of us, you know that!"   
  
"The Huntress did not do it and I can prove it. The real killer is that girl whom she's fighting."  
  
"I was there along side of Commissioner O'Reiley. I saw her kill her with my own two eyes."  
  
"Who you really saw was this woman," Reese pointed to Raven. "She is a meta-human: someone who has special gifts. Her powers include shape shifting. She was in The Huntress' body."  
  
"Do you realize how stupid that sounds!" One of the police officers replied. "Get out of our way!"  
  
Raven had overhead the police and broke off her attack on Helena, leaving Helena standing there confused. Raven was not about to let the police stop this fight. There was only one way she was going to be able to continue this fight. "You stupid morons!" Raven spat. "It was I who killed your stupid police officer!"  
  
Raven's body began to morph in front of the officer's eyes. By the time her transformation was done, she had morphed into the Huntress. "See how pathetic you humans are? So easily fooled, not to mention that your boss was the one who hired me to frame her for murder." Raven morphed back into her normal body and returned her attention back towards Helena. The police officers, still stunned about what they had just witnessed. The lowered their weapons back into their holsters and watched the fight.  
  
Helena ran two steps before leaping towards Raven, with her right foot stretched out in front of her. Raven dropped and rolled on the ground to her right to avoid Helena. Just as Helena landed on her feet just inches past where Raven used to stand, Raven leaped onto her feet.  
  
Raven attacked Helena with a series of swings and kicks. Helena moved her arms and legs quickly enough to block everything. Helena did a mid-height spin kick, kicking Raven in the ribs. Raven was sent crashing into the wall.  
  
At this point, people had began gathering around in a safe distance, watching these two women fight to the bitter end. Some have even began to cheer on Helena. Reese was taken back by how the citizens of New Gotham already seemed to know who was the good guy and who was the villain.   
  
Raven returned to her feet, but her body morphed into Dinah's body. The officers began to scratch their heads. "We've been looking for that girl as well. I suppose it was this woman all along."  
  
Reese shrugged. Hey, whatever way to get Dinah free from her charge was fine with him. She was actually brainwashed into robbing the bank, but putting the blame on Raven accomplished the same thing.   
  
"Die, Huntress!" Raven used her borrowed telepathic powers to lift one of the police cars up into the air. Raven waved her hand and the flying squad car came flying at Helena. Helena dashed forward just miss being hit by the front of the car crashing onto the road. Helena got back onto her feet when the car exploded behind Helena, sending her flying forward, closer to Raven.  
  
While Helena was flying right to Raven, Raven leaped up and kicked her in the chest. Helena came crashing onto her back. Raven morphed back into her own body and jumped high up into the air and was coming back down on top of Helena, with her leg stretched out to stab her with her heel.  
  
Helena rolled onto her left arm to avoid Raven's left heel. She rolled back onto her back and swung her right leg upward, kicking Raven behind her knee. Raven fell onto one knee while Helena rolled forward to roll back onto her feet. As Helena was about to land on her feet, she nailed Raven in the back of the neck with her elbow.   
  
The on lookers cheered for Helena as she spun around to face Raven. Raven was stunned by Helena's last move and was struggling to her feet. Raven turned and made a desperate leap at Helena. Helena delivered a powerful punch in her face, sending her struggling backwards. Helena was able to deliver three more punches before kicking her in the chest, sending Raven crashing into the wall. Raven slipped into unconscious.  
  
Reese ran to Helena with a smile on her face. "You did it! You finally beat Raven!"  
  
Helena smiled at Reese. "Good riddance to her," She said, taking deep breaths, weary from the battle.   
  
One of the police officers approached Reese and Helena. "Miss Huntress, on behalf of the NGPD, we want to apologize for everything you have gone through. You are officially cleared of all charges. Commissioner O'Reily will be brought up on charges."  
  
"I appreciate it, officers, but let me handle your boss. Your boss is a bigger threat than you may think."  
  
"Whatever you think is best. Good luck, Huntress."  
  
Helena turned to Reese and smiled at him. "I guess things are getting back to normal. I'll catch you later, detective,"   
  
Helena was about to leap onto the rooftops when Reese noticed that Raven was standing had pulled out a gun. She aimed it for Helena's back, and she had no idea about what was about to happen. "Huntress, look out!"  
  
Helena spun around when a gun shot was fired. The gun fell out of Raven's hands as she collapsed to the ground, with a gun shot wound in her back, close to her rib cage. One of the police officers had fired their guns to save Helena. "Is she…"  
  
Reese knelt down and felt Raven's neck for a pulse. "She'll be fine," Reese replied. Reese found a thin gray box lying besides Raven. Picking it up, he open the box to find several syringes of the morphing formula. "More of that formula!" He said to Helena as he handed it to her.  
  
"We'll have an ambulance take her to the hospital," a police officer said pulling out his CB radio. Helena nodded as she took a flying leap up onto the rooftop and in seconds was out of sight and no where to be seen. 


	20. HELENA'S BANE: Hell Comes to New Gotham

CHAPTER 10  
  
Bane led Harley Quinn all the way to the top of Arkham Asylum. There was a ledge on one of the towers that looked over the woods that surrounded the building unto New Gotham. "So tell me, honey, what did you get for my birthday? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Harley said, bouncing like a little child excited about receiving a birthday gift.  
  
"This is for you, my love!" Bane handed her a control with a horizontal row of flip switches.  
  
"Ooooh, this looks fun! I just love switches." Harley smiled.  
  
"Start with the switch to the right and go left, and enjoy my birthday present to you." Helena laughed with anticipation and excitement and she flipped the first switch up, lighting up the tiny red light above the switch.  
  
* * * *   
  
At the New Gotham Police Department, it was a busy night. Cops were walking in and out of the building and patrol cars were pulling in and out of the parking lots. The building took up an entire block. Two way traffic surrounded the building. Those four streets were main roads, and traveled highly on, even this late at night. The night shift was about to head out and begin patrolling New Gotham.   
  
Everything came to an abrupt halt as the NGPD headquarters exploded violently, sending debris for miles. Cars, passing by were thrown off the road by the explosion and sent crashing into buildings across from where the headquarters was.   
  
* * * *  
  
Harley laughed with excitement when she heard the explosion and saw the flames rising up from New Gotham. Harley looked down at the second switch with great anticipation. She grabbed the switch with her thumb and index finger of her right hand and flipped the switch up.  
  
* * * *  
  
The New Gotham Fire Department was five blocks from the police headquarters. The lights flickered on when the first blast send shockwaves that could be felt even this far from the headquarters. Before any of the firefighters could prepare to get dressed and rush to the fire trucks, the whole building exploded.  
  
* * * *   
  
  
  
When Helena returned to the clock tower, she found Richard and Dinah gathered around an unconscious Barbara. "What happened?"  
  
"We don't know," Richard replied. "Dinah and I went to bring some new computers up here and we found her unconscious."  
  
Barbara came around, shaking her head. "Barbara, what happened? Are you okay?"  
  
Barbara grimaced from a sharp headache. "It was David Crane. He was in here."  
  
"David Crane was in the clock tower? What is he up to?" Dinah asked.  
  
"I don't know, but perhaps we should fix the clock tower's security system before trying to set up a new computer workstation."  
  
The sound of explosion outside caught everybody's attention. The four of them ran out onto the ledge just as a second explosion went off. This new explosion happened just down the road at the fire station. "What's going on?" Dinah asked.   
  
No one answered as a third explosion went off elsewhere in New Gotham. "Bane must be doing this!" Barbara said.  
  
"I'm going to check it out!" Richard said, taking his clothes off, revealing his Nightwing costume. He placed his eye mask over his eyes.  
  
"Be careful, Richard."  
  
* * * *  
  
David Crane held back his group of villains from Arkham. "Steady…wait it is safe to go!"  
  
An explosion rocked the bank at the end of the street. A car driving by was blown away from the bank, and crashed into a street lamp. "Okay, everyone! Go!"  
  
All fifty criminals began charging down the streets. The few innocent civilians saw the angry mob of convicts and began running for their lives. They began to break into every store in site and robbing them. A few went after the innocent civilians who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. David led a couple dozen to the bank that exploded.   
  
* * * *  
  
Harley was nearly dancing with joy, flipping the switches and seeing More of Gotham explode. A helicopter had flown over New Gotham to view a quarter of the city in flames. "This is a blast!" Harley said excitedly. Looking down at the switchbox, there were two more switches that were yet to be flipped. Harley reached down and flipped the next switch.  
  
* * * *  
  
For a Thursday night, the Dark Horse Bar was rather busy. Danielle was barley able to keep up with the demands of all the customers. She was almost ready to call Gibson for help. The ground had begun shaking almost as if they were small aftershocks following after a huge earthquake. Many of the people inside of the bar were looking out the window to see smoke rising from New Gotham. There were others who cared only about drowning their sorrow and getting drunk. There were enough of these kind of people to keep Danielle busy.  
  
"I'll be back to help you. I want to see what's going on," Gibson said, coming up from the bottom level.  
  
"Great. We're a little busier than I expected," Danielle replied.   
  
Gibson walked through the people and finally reached the front door.  
  
Danielle picked up a trey and opened three bottles of beer and placed them on the tray. She picked the tray up stepped out from outside the bar, not seeing a gray box under the bar, next to the bar exit. A red light flashed three times before it stayed on and exploded, engulfing all of the bar.  
  
* * * *  
  
Gibson stepped outside and saw the smoke rising at from both the left and right. What the hell was happening? There have been a dozen of explosions in New Gotham, all within twenty minutes. Well, there was no point worrying about it; he was sure that Helena had everything under control. He turned around to head back into the bar when the bar exploded, sending shattered glass everywhere and sending Gibson crashing into a parallel parked car and slipping into unconsciousness.  
  
* * * *   
  
"Now, this last switch is the best of them all," Bane said pointing to the last switch. "With this last one, all of your troubles will go up in flames."  
  
"You didn't!" Harley looked at him with pleasant surprised look on her face.  
  
"I did," Bane smiled.  
  
Harley was so excited, she could not contain herself. "This is the best birthday I ever had!" Harley said as she flipped the final switch.  
  
* * * *   
  
They could faintly hear the sounds of an uproar of violence. "A riot has broken out!" Barbara said. "Come on, girls. We have to find a way to stop this!" Barbara controlled her wheel chair back into the clock tower. Helena and Dinah followed her back inside and up onto the ramp. It was Dinah who noticed a gray box hidden by one of the damaged monitor. It had a flashing red light on it. "What's this!" Dinah approached the box. Helena and Barbara came up to Dinah to look at the box.  
  
"Oh my god! Everyone to the elevator, now! That wall is blast resistant!"  
  
The Helena and Dinah ran off the ramp, followed by Barbara who had her wheelchair going at full speed. The three of them just got off the metal ramp when the bomb went off.  
  
* * * *  
  
Harley and Bane watched the clock tower as the bomb went off. The explosion caused the glass clock to shatter. The entire top of the clock tower was now burning wildly out of control. The flames shot up higher than the highest building in New Gotham. Bane and Harley laughed as Bane wrapped his right arm over her shoulders. "Our problems are over! No one can stand in our way any longer."  
  
TO BE CONCLUDED  
  
AT LAST, THE FINAL STORY OF THE BIRDS OF PREY: THE COMISSIONER O'REILEY SERIES IS NEXT! IS THERE ANYONE LEFT ALIVE TO STAND UP AGAINST THE DEVISTATION OF BANE AND HARLEY QUINN.   
  
EPISODE 11: UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES  
  
FOR THOSE READING ON FANFICTION.NET, EPISODE 11 STARTS IN THIS SAME STORY STARTING IN CHAPTER 21. 


	21. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Up From the Ru...

FOR 10 STORIES, YOU HAVE READ THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF THE BIRDS OF PREY CONTINUING AFTER DEVIL EYES. NOW, THE JOURNEY HAS COME TO ITS END. THE 3 PART SERIES FINALE CONCLUDES NOW!  
  
PREVIOUS STORIES IN THE O'REILEY SAGA  
  
Episodes 1 and 2 HUNTRESS THE HUNTED  
  
Episode 3 NIGHTWING   
  
Episode 4 WALKING ON AIR  
  
Episode 5 BLIND FAITH  
  
Episodes 6 THINK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL  
  
Episodes 7 FATHER'S DAUGHTER  
  
Episode 8 HELENA VS. THE HUNTRESS  
  
Episode 9 DAY OF RECKONING  
  
Episode 10 HELENA'S BANE  
  
BIRDS OF PREY SERIES FINALE   
  
Up From Out of the Ashes  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
The clock tower was destroyed. Flames were engulfing everything in the hideout. The fire continued to burn out of control. It was only a matter of time before the roof would collapse. The burning front door came crashing off of it's hinges and landed on the ground. Entering into the inferno was Nightwing and Reese. The smoke was thick, making it very difficult to breath. Both men covered their eyes from the bright blinding glow from the flames. "Helena? Barbara? Dinah?" Reese called out, but even he could not hear himself over the loud noise the fire made.  
  
Richard signaled for them to split up. Reese nodded, as he began coughing. The smoke was starting to get to him, but he was not going to leave here until he found Helena, and the others. "Helena?" He called out again. "Please God, don't let her be dead."  
  
He walked deeper into the smoldering clock tower. The devastation was beyond what he could even dream of. He walked closer to what used to be a metal platform and he found Dinah lying on her stomach, just beginning to come around. Reese knelt down and came to her aid. Her face was covered in soot, and parts of her neck were burned. "Dinah, are you alright?" Reese said into Dinah's ear so she could hear him.  
  
"I'll be okay," Dinah answered.  
  
"Get to the elevator and get out of the clock tower. We'll meet outside."  
  
"Where's Helena and Barbara?" Dinah asked.  
  
"We're looking for them. Now go!"  
  
"No, I'm going to help you find them!" Dinah replied. "My powers may come in handy.  
  
Reese looked further down in the room to see Richard waving for some existence. "Okay, Richard looks like he found Barbara and needs some help. You go help him. I'm going to find Helena."   
  
Dinah nodded and ran over to Richard. Indeed, he did find Barbara. She was unconscious on the ground. The back of her shirt was partially burnt off, leaving holes. Her back, where the holes were, were burned pretty bad.   
  
"We need to get her out of here," Richard screamed over the sound of the fire.  
  
Dinah used her powers to elevate Barbara, with her stomach still facing down to the floor. Richard led the way as Dinah followed; making sure Barbara was floating between them. They made their way out the door and to the elevator.  
  
"Helena?" Reese called out. He took a step before falling into a coughing fit. He could not hold on much longer; the smoke was smothering him. He would die first before leaving Helena here to burn to death. Reese pressed on for another two steps before he collapsed onto his knees.   
  
Helena opened her eyes with a sharp pain by her right temple. She touched the spot where the pain was and looked at her hand. Her hand was covered in blood. The side of her face was bleeding pretty baldly. She pushed herself up onto her knees and looked around. The building was burning all around her. The ceiling looked like it could collapse in any moment. To her right she saw Reese on her knees, being suffocated by the smoke. Helena jumped to her feet, and stifled a cough of her own. She ran to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Reese looked up at Helena with relief in his eyes, though he could not speak through his coughing. Helena helped in to his feet and the two of them helped each other to the elevator. They were both relived when they were in the elevator on the way down. "Helena, are you okay?" Reese finally got out after his coughing had calmed down a bit. He was looking her head wound.  
  
"I'll be okay. Where's Dinah and Barbara?"  
  
"They are fine. They are already out of the clock tower," Reese replied. "Damn, I though all three of you were goners after seeing that explosion." Helena smiled and leaned into him and embracing him. 


	22. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: The Fallen Her...

CHAPTER 2  
  
They did not let each other go until the elevator doors opened. The two of the walked out the front door and saw everyone across the street. They walked across the street to see that Barbara was still unconscious. Dinah looked up to see Reese and Helena joining the group. "Helena, are you okay?" Dinah asked when she saw that half of her face was covered in blood.  
  
"I'm fine. How's Barbara?"  
  
As if on queue, Barbara coughed uncontrollably for a minute before she opened her eyes. "Richard?"  
  
Richard smiled down at her. "Thank heavens you're alright. You gave us quite a scare."  
  
Barbara sat up and looked up at the burning clock tower. "It appears we now know what David Crane was up to."  
  
"This is out of character for him," Dinah commented. "Is he responsible for all the explosions?"  
  
"I don't know," Barbara admitted. "Our base and our home has been destroyed."  
  
"My bets are on Bane being behind all of this, but what relations does he have with David Crane?" Richard voiced his opinion.  
  
Barbara shook her head, again without an answer. Helena was thinking and trying to come up with a connection but with the same success Barbara was having. Danielle suddenly popped into her mind. "Perhaps we should go see Danielle and see if she's alright."  
  
"That's a good idea. This town is going to hell quickly.  
  
* * * *  
  
They traveled a long way, but they made it to the Dark Horse Bar. Barbara was tired and Richard had to carry her half way towards the bar. When they arrived, they all had a rude shock coming to them to see the bar on fire.   
  
"Hey look!" Reese called out to the others. Lying up against a parked car was Gibson who was just starting to regain consciousness. Helena and Reese ran to help him up to his feet.   
  
"Gibson, are you okay?" Dinah asked, as she and Richard, still caring Barbara, joined Helena and Reese.  
  
"I think so. What's going on? Everything is exploding!" Gibson said dazedly. At that moment it hit him what had happened to the bar. "Oh god, Danielle! She's still in there!" Gibson cried franticly.  
  
Helena didn't even hesitate as she jumped through the window frame into the burning building. "Helena, no!" Barbara screamed.  
  
Helena was back in the oven as she once again found herself in the middle of a burning building. There were dead bodies all over the place, some were even burning in the fire. Helena was sickened by the stench, but she continued into the bar. "Danielle!" Helena called out.   
  
She made her way to the bar itself, jumping over a body in the process. She found Danielle on the floor near the burning bar. "Danielle!" She turned her around onto her back to see that half of her face was severely burned by third degree burns. "I'll get you outta here!"   
  
Helena scooped Danielle up in her arms and made her way back towards the window frame. She was half way there when the ceiling began to collapse. Helena flinched, knowing her life was about to be snubbed out, but death never came. Helena looked up to see the burning chunks of roof floating above her. Up by the window frame was Dinah who had her right arm stretched, using her powers to save Helena.   
  
Helena wasted no more time and ran towards Dinah and the window frame. As Helena was clear from danger, Dinah lowered her arm and the two of them jumped out of the burning building as the ceiling collapsed. Everyone ran to join the two girls as Helena laid Danielle on the ground.   
  
"Is she okay?" Gibson asked franticly.  
  
Barbara knelt down onto her knees besides Danielle and felt her neck for a pulse. "There's no pulse. Everyone back away!" Barbara announced.  
  
Richard backed Gibson away while Dinah did so with Helena. Both Helena and Gibson watched in horror as Barbara began CPR. Gibson's eyes began to fill up with tears, as he could have just lost the woman he loved with all her heart. Helena was about to loose her best friend. Both of them were beginning to fear the worse.   
  
Barbara continued the CPR franticly trying to save Danielle's life. She had Danielle's head tilted back and while she had her nose pinch, she blew air through Danielle's mouth. Her chest rose slighty from her air. Her heart would not restart as well as her breathing. After close to five minutes, there was no more doubt. Richard put a hand on Barbara's shoulder to get her to stop. "It's over, Barbara." Barbara knew he was right. Tears strolled down her face as she sat up.  
  
"No, don't stop!" Gibson pleaded. "Keep going! She can still pull through!"  
  
Helena put a hand on his shoulder, but was to choked up to speak. Gibson turned towards her and the two of them hugged, crying on each other's shoulder. Richard embraced Barbara, knowing that the loss hurt her just as much as Helena and Gibson. Dinah turned around to hide her tears. Reese stood behind her and place a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
  
The sound of a coming riot was coming towards them. Barbara wiped the tears from her eyes as she collected herself emotionally. "We…sniff…have to go find who is responsible for this and stop him from causing any more pain and devastation."  
  
"But how? The clock tower is destroyed." Dinah said. "We have no base of operation."  
  
"I know where we can set up a temporary base of operations," Barbara said looking over at Richard. 


	23. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: The New Base

CHAPTER 3  
  
The lights flicked on and the sight was breath taking. All six of them were standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking into the BatCave. Bats were flying all throughout the cave. In the middle of the cave was a large platform that was raised up from a large ditch, and spun around until it was even with the ground. On the platform was the batmobile covered in a dust covered blanket. The front of the car pointed to their left down a large pathway that was dug through the cave.  
  
To their immediate right, up on a platform, was giant vault with the insignia of the bat carved into the metal. Two steps led up to that platform. Facing the vault, to the left were two steps down to a large super computer station that took up most of the wall. Above it was giant, red illuminated 3D metal bat insignia.   
  
"Now this is cool!" Dinah commented.  
  
"It sure is." Helena said walking out a few steps and looking all around. "So this is the Batcave. It's Very convenient having this cave right under the mansion and the grandfather clock entrance was brilliant."  
  
"Intruder alert...intruder alert…please identify yourself," a computer generated recording of Alfred's voice echoed through the Batcave.  
  
Walking side by side, Barbara and Richard walked up to the giant computer station. "Barbara Gordon…Batgirl!" Barbara said loudly.  
  
"Welcome, Miss Gordon!" the computer generated recording replied as the super compute turned on automatically.  
  
"Perhaps we should take some time to recover from our wounds and our loss. All three of you need some wounds to tend to," Richard suggested.  
  
"Yea, I could really go for a shower right now," Helena admitted.  
  
"I suppose it won't hurt of we spent some time recovering from all we have just been through. This mansion has enough bathrooms and showers for each of us."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Ouch!" Helena yelped as Barbara finished stitching up Helena's wound. Everyone had finished taking a shower and treating their cuts and their burns. The emotional wounds that they carried would take a little longer to heal.  
  
"There, good as new!" Barbara said.  
  
Reese joined the two women as Barbara packed away the medical kit. "It's hardly noticeable, Helena."  
  
"Yea, sure," Helena said less than enthusiastically.  
  
"I'm going to pay the police station a visit, and see how they are handling all this chaos."  
  
"I don't know if that's a good idea. There is a lot of rioting going on out there. We don't even know what caused the riots or why the riots are even taking place. It's just not safe to go out there alone."  
  
"I'll be alright. The Police Headquarters is not too far from here," Reese replied.  
  
"At least let me take you to the garage and you can take on of the motorcycles. They are more versatile than an automobile." Richard offered.  
  
"That would be great," Reese admitted. He turned to face Helena. "I'll be back, I promise."  
  
"Be careful Reese," Helena said looking into his eyes with great concern in her own.   
  
Reese leaned forward and kissed her on her lips before leaning back up and following Richard up the stairs and out of the Batcave.  
  
Barbara slowly walked to the super computer. Luckily, there was a seat nailed down to the ground for her to sit on. Dinah walked by her in case she could not make the walk, however her help was not needed. Barbara made it to the seat with no problem and sat down.  
  
Helena joined Barbara at the computer while Dinah looked over by the vault to see Gibson sitting quietly to himself on the steps. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. "How are you holding up?"  
  
"As good as can be expected, I suppose," Gibson said sadly. "God, I miss her. I loved her so much."  
  
Dinah gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know how it feels to loose someone you love."  
  
"Dinah, come take a look at this!" Barbara called. Dinah jumped to her feel and joined Barbara and Helena. On one of the screens, she saw a black and white image of what looked like a hallway full of prison cells with all the doors open. "After several villains continually escaped Arkham, he had a spy cam installed in Arkham so he can keep an eye on some of the more notorious criminals."  
  
"All the prisons look empty," Dinah commented.  
  
"They are. Every single criminal that was held at Arkham has escaped. Take a look at what was recorded just over twenty-four hours ago."  
  
On the big screen, it showed Harley Quinn's cell with her still in it. On the bottom right corner of the screen, Commissioner O'Reiley walked up to the cell with two police officers. They watched as Harley Quinn's cell was opened and the commissioner shoot the officer who opened the cell dead. Harley Quinn killed the other guard by crushing his Adam's apple. That was when Barbara froze the image. "It looks like Bane and Harley Quinn are working together, and they are the ones who freed the villains. Now, take a look at this."  
  
Replacing the image was another video of a station. They watched as one of the guards killed the other security guard. He then morphed into the villain that they all instantly recognized.  
  
"Raven!" Dinah said in disbelief!   
  
"It appears that Raven was also working for Harley and Bane. Now, take a look at this."  
  
Barbara pulled up a new video where all the villains were gathered together and it looked like syringes were being passed out to each and every person there. Barbara froze the picture. "That is what's been happening."  
  
"Is that the morphing formula that is being distributed?" Helena asked.  
  
"Yes," Barbara replied. "Just one syringe for each of them. That means Bane and Harley Quinn are distributing that formula. They have given each of them a sample to last twenty-four hours. Which means, they are now robbing New Gotham blind. The criminals are going to take what they stole and buy the formula from them. In less than twenty-four hours, Harley and Bane are going to have all of New Gotham's money. There will be no stopping them." 


	24. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Reese in Dange...

CHAPTER 4  
  
"So, where is Harley and Bane now?" Richard asked after being informed about Barbara's discovery.  
  
"It appears that they are still at Arkham. That is their hideout."  
  
"No wonder why we couldn't locate where Bane had gone. Who would have thought of him making Arkham his hideout?"  
  
"So what now?" Helena asked. "We head go to Arkham and kick some ass?"  
  
"We've also got to keep in mind the hundred plus criminals that are now ravaging New Gotham. If we beat Bane and Harley Quinn now, the one hundred plus criminals out there will still be loose. We have to act when they all return back to Arkham to buy the formula."  
  
"But then, it'll be a hundred of them against just five or six of us," Dinah said. "There's no way we can take on all that on our own."  
  
"We have to find a way to do so," Barbara said. "We have no choice in the matter. We can't leave New Gotham to the mercies of these criminals."  
  
"Hey, look!" Dinah pointed to a monitor at the upper right corner. The security camera in the mansion showed ten people just breaking into the mansion and begin to loot what they could.  
  
"Like hell are they going to loot my father's stuff!" Helena said. "Let's take out the trash, Dinah."  
  
* * * *  
  
The ten escaped convicts broke the large twin doors down and found themselves in a gigantic mansion. "We've hit the jackpot boys! Let's go find ourselves some loot!" They cheered as they began looking around for something they can carry out.  
  
"May we help you find something?" A voice came from above them.  
  
All ten of them looked up to see Helena standing on the railing. Jumping and flipping over the railing beside her was Dinah who landed in the middle of circle of escaped convicts. Helena stretched out her arms and fell forward she flipped once before landing on the first level on her feet next to Dinah.  
  
The ten convicts ganged up on the two of them and attacked. One of the convicts swung his right fist wildly for her face. She dodged to the left as the first flew past her, leaving her an open shot into the ribs. Helena shot up her leg and kicked the convict in the ribs, causing the convict to retract his arm. Another convict came in at Helena but she jumped straight up and imprinted the flat of her left foot into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards.  
  
Dinah swatted away a punch for her face and kicked the convict that had swung at her face, under his chin. That sent him flying backwards out of the group of convicts that were surrounding the two girls. Dinah felt a hand grab her on her shoulder. She spun around to rip her shoulder out of the grip of one of the convicts and she kicked him in the stomach.  
  
Helena jumped high into the air and spun around, and stretching out her right left, to kick one of the convicts in the side of his neck, sending him flipping feet over head onto the ground. Two of the convicts that she had attacked earlier were back attacking her. This time, to her surprise, they had the power to morph and they morphed into two doppelgangers of herself. She knew that they had taken the morphing formula. They now had all her abilities at their disposal, but she still had one advantage: they were inexperienced at being her.  
  
They leaped at her both with their right legs stretched out to land the flats of their foots into her face. Helena rolled forward between the two doppelgangers to roll unto her hands and to straighten up into a hand stand. She bent her knees, pointing the flat of her feet towards the two doppelgangers and were perfectly placed to kick both of them in the face, causing them to come crashing down onto their backs unconscious. They both morphed back into their own powers, unable to remain in their new bodies while unconscious.  
  
Dinah still had four convicts still capable of fighting her. A convict behind her charged at Dinah while another one behind her did the same. She duck as the convict in front of her went in with a jab. Instead of hitting his intended target, he unintentionally punched his fellow convict in the jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. Dinah, still ducking, reach up over her head to grab the arm of the attacking convict. She stood up and twisted his arm as hard as she could. His body was pulled towards the direction his arm was being twisted. With her right foot, she kicked him across the face, causing him to collapse onto the ground unconscious. Turning around to see the other criminal, just coming to his senses. Dinah used her powers to send him crashing to a wall, knocking him out.  
  
Helena had three convicts who were still putting up a fight. One of them grabbed a rusted sword from one of the armored statue displays and swung it awkwardly at Helena. She bent backwards to the point where her back was nearly horizontal to the ground. Helena kicked upwards as the sword swung by, hitting his wrist and kicking the sword out of his hand. Somehow, she kept her balance and was able to bring herself standing back up. The remaining convicts left standing from the battles with both of them ran out of the mansion. Dinah and Helena looked at each other and then around at the surroundings. It looked like everything was still in place.  
  
* * * *  
  
Reese raced through the streets of New Gotham on the motorcycle. The streets were emptied as it seemed more like a ghost town now. He drove by several sites that were burning in a wild fire. Most of the burning buildings were banks. He raced down the streets to begin seeing ravaged buildings and broken windows. He could not believe the extent of damage and chaos New Gotham was left in.  
  
He made a right hand turn and drove a mile down the street before slowing down and bringing the motorcycle to a stop. He had stopped in front of what used to believe one of NGPD's headquarters. He stayed there in shock as the headquarters was burning in flames. Now what was he going to do? The New Gotham law enforcement has been severely crippled.   
  
He knew there was nothing he could do now but to return back to the mansion. He slowly turned his motor cycle around to head back when he saw a gang of people ganging up on him. It was clear that they had ill intentions for him as most of them looked like they were escaped convicts from Arkham. He revved his motorcycle and raced towards the group hoping to split them apart. Before he reached the group, something was thrown and caught in the spokes causing the motorcycle come to an instantaneous halt, throwing Reese off the motorcycle. Reese hit the ground and his body rolled on the asphalt for a few seconds before stopping. Reese laid there unconscious as David Crane stood over Reese. "What a pleasant surprise, it's detective Reese, and just as we were on our way back to Arkham! Bring him," David said to the gang. "Bring him as a gift for Bane." 


	25. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: A Plan is Form...

CHAPTER 5  
  
Helena and Dinah returned back down to the batcave after making sure no one could break into the mansion again. "Everything is secured upstairs," Helena announced to Barbara and Richard.   
  
"Excellent," Barbara replied. "I was hoping Reese would be back by now, but we can't wait much longer. It looks like all of the escaped convicts are on their way back to Arkham."  
  
"Richard, can I borrow your cell phone for a minute?" Helena asked.  
  
Richard grabbed his cell phone and tossed it over to Helena. Helena caught the phone and dialed Reese' cell phone number and press talk. She brought it up to her ear and listened as it rang once and rang twice. It rang a third, fourth, and fifth time. After the sixth ring, his voice mail recording began to play. Helena hung up and handed the cell phone back to Richard. "I can't get through to him. I hope he's okay; he usually never has his cell phone off."  
  
"We can't wait for him, I'm afraid. We have to act now. We have get inside Arkham somehow."  
  
"That's not going to be easy when it is run by the convicts," Richard pointed out. "Any ideas on how we can get in?"  
  
Barbara shook her head. "I'm working on it."  
  
Helena reached into her pocket and pulled out the thin gray box that she took from Raven and handed it to Barbara. "I think I have an idea."  
  
* * * *  
  
At Arkham asylum, most of the convicts had arrived as scheduled. With them they brought the millions of dollars of loot that they had stolen. Everyone was gathered in the lobby. Bane and Harley were standing on a self made platform to boost them above all the rest. He and Harley held hands as they laughed as all of the convicts were laughing and chatting with one another. It was more of a celebration over a most tremendous victory.  
  
Bane began to wave at everyone and they slowly began to quiet it down. "I see that you have all come back with plenty of money to purchase more of the morphing formula. A great majority of you, as far as I can see, has returned which means you have found the morphing formula extremely beneficial. Am I right?"  
  
Everyone in the room let out a huge affirmative cheer. Bane clapped his hands and laughed. "We will begin the process of exchanging in a little bit, but first, we have a little business to take care off. Bring him in, Crane!" Bane said waving for him to come to the platform.  
  
Jonathon Crane climbed onto the platform, pushing Reese up in front of him. Two men stepped up onto the platform and grabbed Reese by his arms. The crowd began to rant and rave over their captured prisoner. Bane grinned at him as he walked up to him and delivered a painful slap across his face with the back of his hand. "Detective Jesse Reese. You had played right into our hands from the very beginning. I must admit, I enjoyed watching you sneak around with the Huntress while trying to do your job without me finding out about your aiding them. It was quite humorous really."  
  
Reese struggled to break free of the grip of the two convicts but they hold on him were too tight. "I should have realized a lot sooner who you really are."  
  
Bane laughed as he was joined by Harley. "This plot of ours have been perfectly planned out for over a year. If truth be told, you were originally considered for the job, but in order for my plans to work, I had to push myself into the position."  
  
Harley walked seductively towards Reese. "It was perfect. Bane becoming New Gotham's commissioner while I was in here, preparing for this very day. It's just too bad that Barbara and Helena had to miss it."  
  
Reese suddenly realized that they did not know that they were still very much alive. If he had to die now, he would die with that secret to give them a better chance to take them by surprise. Harley leaned into Reese and kissed him passionately on his lips. After several seconds she broke it off and stepped back with an evil grin on her face. Without warning, she spun around and lifted her right leg up high, spin kicking him across the face. The two men kept their hold on his arms, preventing him from falling. "I kissed Wade just like that before I stabbed him in the heart. Call it, my kiss of death," Harley said with a grin.  
  
She pulled out a hand gun and handed it to another convict who stepped up on the platform to accept the gun. "Bring him off the platform and kill him, boys." 


	26. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Birds to the R...

CHAPTER 6  
  
The two convicts pulled him down among the large crowd of convicts as the third convict stepped in front of him with the hand gun in his hand. Band stood besides Harley as they watched together. The convict with the gun pointed the gun at Reese's head. He then pointed the gun upward and fired all six shots into the roof before dropping the gun to the ground and turning to face Bane and Harley Quinn.   
  
"Why the hell did you do that for?" Bane demanded.  
  
The convict smiled as his body began to morph. His body went from masculine to feminine. His hair turned dark black. Standing there in front of Bane and Harley was the Huntress. The convicts that were holding Reese released him as their bodies began to morph. Standing on Reese's Right was Dinah and on his left was Barbara. The convict closest to Dinah also began to morph and standing there was Nightwing in full costume.   
  
"Impossible! You three should be dead!" Bane said angrily.  
  
"As you can see, we are very much alive and are about to kick your asses from here to Tuesday."  
  
"Kill them!" Bane screamed in extreme anger.  
  
The large crowd of convicts began to surround the four heroes as they turned around and took on the hundred plus convicts. Helena spun on her right ankle as she lifted up her right leg and kicked four convicts across the face causing them to stumble back into the pushing crowd of convicts, anxiously awaiting their chance at her. Another convict tried to deliver a punch but Helena caught his wrist in mid flight. She raised her right leg on the right side of the arm and wrapped it over their arms and kicked him twice straight in the face.  
  
Dinah used her powers to topple a handful of convicts who came rushing at her. Dinah turned to face another convict who was about to make contact with her. She imprinted the flat of her right boot into his gut and instantly followed up with a punch across the face to seen him flying backwards a few feet into the crowd of criminals. Besides her, Reese was fighting with the convicts one by one, sticking close to Dinah's side. He had no powers or fighting techniques as these girls so he would quickly be overcome by the constant onslaught of attacks.  
  
With the help of the neural transponder Barbara was able to fight decently well. She did not have enough strength on her own to be able to fight, and perhaps never will again. Barbara used a wooden walking cane as a weapon as well as her aid. She used the cane to slap a convict across the side of his face leaving a big black and blue mark. He fell to the ground where he began to be trampled but dozens of other criminals trying to get a piece of the action. Barbara spun around and used her cane to bat an arm that was out to grab her throat. She jumped and kicked under the convict's jaw whose arm it was that went for her throat.  
  
Richard kicked a convict across the side of his neck, sending him cart wheeling in mid air into part of the crowd of convicts. He turned to his right and kicked hard with the flat of his right foot into a convict's knee cap, causing him to tumble down to the ground screaming in pain. Out of nowhere, a fist punched Richard across the face, causing him to take a step backwards. He felt an arm wrap around his neck. Richard stomped on the foot of the convict behind him who was choking him. The man released his pressure on his throat, and before he could bring back his arm, Richard grabbed his wrist, stepped back into the convict, ducked, and pulled. The man flipped over Richard and crashing into another attacking convict.  
  
Helena had taken a few good punches, but for the most part, she was doing okay standing up against what seemed like a tidal wave of attacks. Helena spun speedily around twice before lifting up her right leg as she began to slow down. Her ankle came crashing against the sides of two more faces. She had very little room to move which was beginning to take it's toll on her. A convict came at her from both sides, one of them with a knife in hand. She leaped straight up and split her legs apart until they were horizontal to the ground. The flat of each foot rammed into the chest of both convicts, sending them stumbling backwards.  
  
Dinah was quickly getting weary as the convicts just kept on coming and coming. Every one that she took down, three came to replace him. Dinah was relying more and more on her powers. She used her powers to throw three convicts away from her, to give herself some breathing room. A punch took her by surprise, and before she knew it, two men had pounced on top of her. Reese quickly came to her rescue, pulling one of them men off her and delivered a powerful uppercut. The other convict that had pounced on Dinah suddenly went flying straight up before being thrown across the room. Dinah stood up with a bloody lip. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem," Reese smiled. A first came crashing into his face and instantly he was now pounced on by three convicts. She used her powers to elevate all three convicts and throwing them across the room with the other convict she had tossed second ago.  
  
Barbara slapped another convict with her wooden walking cane across the face. On her left, she kicked an attacking convict in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. She turned towards him and brought her cane down upon his neck, flooring him. A convict had snuck up behind her and kicked her behind her right kneecap. Barbara yelped as she fell to her knees. Before the convicts could pounce on her, Richard was there to her rescue. He punched the convict who had kicked Barbara, breaking his nose. Richard tripped him, causing him to fall onto his back.  
  
"Are you alright?" He helped Barbara up to her feet quickly.  
  
"Yea," Barbara gasped.  
  
"There are too many of them!" Richard said as he kicked a convict in the gut. "We can't hold out much longer."  
  
Barbara used her cane to trip a convict onto his back. She knew he was right. They were outnumbered terribly. It was only a matter of time before they were overtaken.  
  
Helena kicked a convict across his chest, sending him crashing onto his back. Before she could react, three convicts pounced on top of her. Dinah saw Helena needing help and was about to use her powers to do so before she too was overcome and was pounce by four convicts. Richard, distracted by Dinah's and Helena's situation, was punched across the face. Reese fell to the ground where two convicts began to pounce on him.  
  
Barbara saw the three of them had been overtaken. "No!" Barbara tried to make her way towards them, but another convict had tripped her, sending her toppling to the ground where three convicts pounced on her.  
  
Richard knew that he was the last still up, but that didn't last long when three convicts grabbed hold of him.  
  
Bane laughed with amusement. The convicts brought all of the girls to their feet's, holding tightly to them preventing them from fighting any further. "You have all fought very valiantly. Your little rebellion has come to it's end." 


	27. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Back From the ...

CHAPTER 7  
  
None of the five of them could break free as Bane grinned out to the five of them. "I must admit, you have done very well, taking out half of these people. You must have had some sort of motivation to get you this far."  
  
Helena tripped to rip herself free from the grips of the three convicts who had a firm hold on him. "You killed Danielle, and I'm going to make sure she is avenged!"  
  
"Oh, you mean that bar tender who was working behind the scenes for you three. So at least one of the bombs served its purpose," Bane laughed. "Anyway, your efforts here are all in vein. You are all about to join her on the other side of life. Kill them!" Bane ordered.  
  
Suddenly, an explosion shook the building as falling pieces of the ceiling began to fall onto the convicts. All five of the heroes were able to break free from the distracted convicts and jump out of the way of the falling debris. When all was said and done, and the dust had settled, there was a giant hole in the ceiling looking up into the next floor. Everyone began to pick themselves up and look up into the hole, curious about what had caused the explosion.  
  
Jumping through the hole was another women wearing all black and a black trench coat and short dirty blonde hair. She landed on her feet just outside of the group of convicts. She took a deep breath and rounded her lips. A golden shockwave threw ten convicts across the room, crashing into the wall.  
  
Dinah stood there in shock and in awe. "Mom?"  
  
Harley clenched her teeth in anger. "Black Canary."  
  
"Kill them!" Bane screamed in fury, sensing the sudden turn of events.  
  
The convicts began to thin out as they now had six of them to deal with. Helena had more room to move around and fight. Helena did a mid air cart wheel with her arms kept to her side. She landed on the other side of a convict who was caught by surprise. Helena ducked and swung her right leg, kicking the convict behind his knee, causing him to fall onto his back. Two more convicts came at her. Helena smiled at them and threw both fists straight out in front of her, punching both of them simultaneously in the face. Helena turned around to see Clay Face standing in front of her with a switchblade in his hand. "Let's Play!"  
  
Barbara blocked a punch with her cane and kicked the convict under his chin, sending him flying backwards. Suddenly a foot kicked Barbara's wrist, knocking her walking cane out of her hand. She turned to her right to see Harley Quinn Standing there. Barbara attacked Harley with a kick for her face, but Harley crossed her wrists in front of her face to block the kick.  
  
Harley Spun around on her right heel and stretched out her left leg to try to kick Barbara in the face. Barbara ducked under the kick and twisted slightly to her right as she stood up and rammed her left elbow into her face. Harley nearly toppled over to her right, but she was able to keep her balance on her one foot. Barbara spun around and tried to kick her in the chest, but Harley Quinn back flipped over the kick. When she was back on her feet, she ducked and swung her right leg, tripping Barbara off her feet.  
  
Richard wrapped his arm around a convict and swung him around with himself in time to use him as a shield against a punch from another convict. The convict that he had his arm around fell to the ground unconscious, freeing his right arm to punch the attacking convict in the face, sending him falling onto his back. Richard toppled forward, as the flat of a foot slammed into his back. Richard spun around to see David Crane pouncing for another attack. Richard leaped upward and implanted the flat of his right foot into his chest in mid air.  
  
David Crane went flying, but as he landed he bounced off his hands to land onto his feet. David charged at Richard and swung wildly for his face. Richard dodged the punch and another punch that followed immediately. Richard saw David leaving himself open for a punch and he took it; delivering a quick jab at his jaw. Richard jumped and flipped over David to land on the other side. David spun around to receive a punch across his face, knocking him out cold.  
  
Dinah kicked the attacking convict under the jaw, sending him flipping in mid air and crashing onto his stomach. Two more convicts came rushing at her. She used her powers to send them flipping in mid air before crashing to the ground. Out of no where, someone came flying at her with a baton swing at her face. She barley ducked under the attack to avoid a painful contact. She looked to her right at the attacker to see Bill Donaldson coming at her again with the baton.  
  
Dinah timed her defensive attack perfectly and leaped up and kicked Bill's wrist, kicking the baton out of his hand. When she landed, she spun around and spun kicked him across the face, sending Bill flipping wildly in mid air before crashing to the ground, unconscious. Reese, who was fighting near Dinah. He punched an attacking convict across the face, rendering him unconscious. With that convict, to his amazement, there was no more of them. The few remaining convicts were attacking everyone else. He wished he could help his friends, but he knew they would be able to handle it on their own. His interactions would only get in the way.  
  
Canary jumped up and pulled her body so she was spinning horizontally over the ground. She stuck out her foot and kicked an attacking convict across the neck, sending him falling to the ground face first. Canary landed on her right foot and brought her left foot down to steady herself. Three more convicts came at her, hoping to find strength in numbers. She rounder her lips and breathed in before releasing a golden shockwave. The three convicts covered their ears as the force of the shockwave sent them crashing into the wall. One of them went crashing through the glass window which lead to the security room. He crashed onto the computer station, accidentally activating the sprinkler system.  
  
The fire sprinklers turned on, drenching everyone in the room. Dinah ran to the security room and pulled the unconscious convict off the computer station. She looked for the right button to turn off the sprinkler system and when she found it, she pushed the button and watched as the sprinklers turned off.  
  
Both Barbara and Harley were soaked, but both women continued in their vicious battle. Barbara tried to kick Harley in the face but Harley back flipped away from Barbara to avoid the kick. Barbara went after Harley but she left herself open for an attack by Harley. Harley took advantage and kicked her in the stomach. Barbara stumbled backwards as Helena pounced for another attack. She came in with a punch but Barbara recovered in time to block the punch. Barbara kicked Harley in the ribs. That stunned her long enough to deliver a punch across her face.  
  
Clay Face went in with his switchblade, trying to stab Helena in the heart. Helena stepped aside to avoid the knife. Helena reached out and grabbed Clay Face's wrist, and twisted it as hard as she could. He yelped in pain as he was forced to let go of the switchblade. Helena kicked him across the face before letting his wrist go.   
  
Clay Face stumbled to his left. Helena leaped towards him, while Clay Face straightened himself up and prepared himself to continue to fight. Helena tried to kick him across the face but Clay Face blocked the kick by crossing his wrists in front of his face. Clay Face slapped Helena across the face with the back of his fist. Helena stumbled back two steps as Clay Face tried to get in another attack. Unfortunately for Clay Face, Helena was not stunned long enough and was able to kick him in the gut, causing him to bend forward, gasping for air. Helena returned the slap across the face before kicking him under his jaw, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back, rendered unconscious.  
  
Helena looked forward to see Bane taking off his trench coat and ripping off his button down shirt. Underneath, he was wearing a black tank top shirt with a flat yellow button dead center of his chest. He took off his hat and threw it to the ground as he stepped off unto the platform. "You killed my son, and now I am going to enjoy killing you!" 


	28. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Huntress Vs Ba...

CHAPTER 8  
  
Dinah saw that Helena was about to have it out with bane and took a step towards her to help her take Bane on. Helena saw her coming from the corner of her eye and stretched out her hand, signaling her to stop. "This is between me and him, Dinah."  
  
Dinah step backwards and joined Reese, her mother, and Richard watching Helena and Barbara go. All the convicts have been dealt with besides the two biggies: Harley Quinn and Bane.   
  
Bane tapped on the yellow button three times as he stepped off the platform. He grunter as his body began to convulse. Before Helena's very eyes, Bane's muscles began to bulge. Bane seemed to get taller and taller. When it was all done, Bane was taller and more muscular than a gorilla. "And now, young Huntress, I will break your back like I broke your fathers back."  
  
Bane brought back his arm and formed a fist and went in for her face. Helena dodged the giant fist which was nearly the size of her entire head. Helena spun around and kicked him in the ribs. Bane made no effort to defend himself as she made contact with her ribs. Bane never even flinched. "That tickled!" Bane laughed. Bane turned around and knelt down as he reached for the large platform. He roared as lifted the entire platform. Helena stepped back not knowing what to do as Bane turned back around to face Helena. "Catch!" Bane through the platform with amazing strength.   
  
Helena leaped out of the way, barely avoiding contact with the platform. Behind her, Barbara and Harley had to pause their fight to avoid being mauled by the giant platform. Behind them, the Black Canary used her golden shockwave to destroy the platform before it crashed into them.  
  
Barbara and Harley Quinn commenced their fighting. Harley went to kick Barbara under her jaw, but Barbara swatted away her ankle with her right arm. Barbara retaliated with a kick to her gut, causing Harley to bend forward gasping for air. Barbara stepped forward and delivered a powerful punch across Harley's face. Harley fell to the ground. Wiping the blood from her lip she looked up at Barbara with rage in her eyes.  
  
Harley climbed to her feet and charged wildly at Barbara. Harley's attack was so reckless, that somehow Barbara was able to trip her and that was going to be it for her. Barbara flipped Harley over her shoulder, and Harley crashed onto the ground behind Barbara. Barbara turned around and dropped to her knees to deliver a punch that rendered Harley out cold, bringing their fight to an end.  
  
Bane had backed Helena into a wall, or at least that was what she wanted him to think. Helena turned and ran for the wall. She leaped and bounced high up on the wall with her right foot and know she was flying directly towards Bane. She twisted around to face Bane and stuck her right foot out as the flat of his foot was perfectly aimed just above the venom button on his chest. She made contact with his chest but he did not budge. She fell to the ground, feeling as if she had just rammed into a brick wall.  
  
Bane laughed as he reached down and grabbed Helena. She yelped at his strong grip on her arms as he lifted her up over his head. "It's time to fly, bird!" He threw Helena into the wall. Helena hit the stone wall with an incredible impact as she fell to the ground. Helena was in great pain, making it hard for her to get up onto her feet.  
  
She looked up to see Bane standing above her raising his foot to stomp on her chest. Helena's eyes opened wide, sensing the danger she was in. She rolled to her right to avoid his foot. Helena was back on her feet to find Bane's fist coming at her at full speed. She ducked and instead of hitting her, Bane punched the wall, nearly punching a hole in the wall. Helena twisted herself to the side and put all her force into kicking Bane in the kneecap. Bane yelped in Bane, but that was the only reaction she got from him. Bane swatter Helena away, slapping her across the face and sending her flying half way to the other side of the room.  
  
Helena neck was sore and she began to rub it as she sat up. Her lip was busted open. She climbed back on to her feet as Bane made his way towards her. She took a deep breath as she leaped as high as she could and spun around while stretching out her right leg to kick Bane across the face. Bane stumbled a few steps towards the right. Helena tried for another kick across the face, since it was one of his weak spots, but Bane caught her right leg and threw her violently onto the ground. Despite the pain she felt in her back, she rushed to get back onto her feet, so not to give Bane a free shot at her.   
  
She was back on her feet, but could not move fast enough to avoid his giant fist punching her in her ribs. Helena cried in pain as she heard one or two of her ribs break. Bane took advantage of her distraction slapped her across the face with the back of his right fist. Helene spun around and fell onto her stomach.  
  
"I can't take any more of this," Barbara said. She headed over towards Bane and was going in to help Helena. Helena pointed at her and gave her a look to tell her to stay away. Barbara, frustrated over how things were turning out, stepped back.  
  
Helena got up onto her hands and knees and began to cough. She spat out the nasty taste in her mouth and blood came out of her mouth. She was bleeding internally, which was not a good sign. She looked up at Bane who was approaching her. She had to go on fighting, ignoring all the pains in her body. When Bane was close enough, she rolled over onto her back and swung her right leg, kicking Bane behind his left knee cap, causing him to fall onto his back.  
  
In the security room, one of the convicts began to stir. He pulled himself up onto his feet to see where he was, He saw all of the convicts scattered everywhere. He began to feel light headed and feel back into unconsciousness. He fell onto the computer station, accidentally activating the electrified gates.  
  
  
  
Helena slowly climbed to her feet as Bane did the same. He did so a lot quicker than she did since he was not severely injured as she was. Bane snapped forward unexpectedly and grabbed Helena back the neck, chocking her to death. "I grow quickly bored with you. Prepare to die."  
  
Suddenly, a great pain began to rush through Bane's entire body. His skin slowly began to shrivel up as he was aging before everyone's eyes. He dropped Helena to the ground as the air began to refill her lungs. "Not now…Damn it!" Bane franticly began looking into his pockets. He pulled out a small metal box, much like the one Helena found from Raven. He opened it up and pulled out a syringe full of the morphing formula.   
  
Helena knew that he needed that morphing formula and she was determined not to let him have it. She kicked upward, hitting his wrist, and knocking the syringe out of his hand. The syringe fell to the ground and shattered. "No…you fool!"   
  
Helena climbed to her feet to see Bane reaching for another spring. Helena swatted the metal container out of his hands, destroying all the syringes.  
  
"No! I can't believe you did that!" Bane said franticly. He had shrunk down to his normal size and was beginning to look more like a tall decrepit old man. His pinkish skin was turning grayish.   
  
Helena spun around on her left heel and kicked Bane across the face. Bane stumbled backwards. With each attack, Helena was in great agony, but things was finally looking towards her and she could not let up until the job was done. Helena delivered two punches across Bane's face. With each punch, Bane stumbled backwards. He was now standing inched from the cell gate. Her intent was to pin him to the cell door and continue hitting him until he was out cold. Helena charged at Bane and she threw herself into Bane, hitting his stomach with her shoulder into his stomach. He was pushed up against the cell gate, and sparks began to fly as electricity flowed into both of their wet clothes.  
  
Bane screamed in agony as the electricity flowed through his body. Helena, was thrown from Bane's body and her smoking body rolled a few feet away. Smoke began to rise from Bane as his body convulsed. Finally, his body separated from the cell gate and the dead smoking burnt body of Bane collapsed. 


	29. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: Bane is Defeat...

CHAPTER 9  
  
Barbara and others ran to Helena who laid on the ground not moving. Barbara felt Helena's neck for a pulse. "She's still alive," Barbara said, sighing with relief. "But she won't be unless we get her some help. She has some internal injuries," Barbara announced seeing the blood trickle down from the side of her mouth.  
  
Reese swiped a strand of hair from Helena's face. "Dinah, you have those healing powers. Use them on Helena!"  
  
"Those powers are fading away. I think they were only temporary. I must have used most of it up with her blindness and her illness. I don't know if I have enough left to be of much help."  
  
"Please, give it a try. She might not make it before we reach the hospital," Reese pleaded.  
  
Dinah nodded as she placed her hands on Helena's side and closed her eyes. Her hands began to glow gold. Slowly, Helena breathing began to stabilized. The gold light from Dinah's hands faded away and she retracted her arms. "The power is gone. I have nothing left."  
  
Helena's eye fluttered open. She noticed everyone gathered around her and she sat up. "What's going on here?"  
  
Reese smiled. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Helena twisted her abs, and felt no pain. She rolled her shoulders around a few times and then spun her head around a few times, exercising her neck. "I feel fine." Helena looked over at Bane's body. "Is he…"  
  
"He's dead," Richard acknowledged. "That cell gate was electrified."  
  
"What was wrong with him?" Dinah asked.  
  
"If I had to guess," Barbara commented, "I would say that the many years of venom intake had taken it's toll on his body and the only thing keeping him alive was the morphing formula."  
  
Reese helped Helena off the ground. It was finally over. Bane and Harley Quinn had been defeated. Dinah walked up to her mother, not having a chance to talk with her until just now. "Mom, I can't believe you're alive. Why didn't you ever come and see me if you were alive?"  
  
Carolyn Lance put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'm sorry that I never came to see you, Dinah. I survived the explosion, but barely. I had two broken legs that took months to heal. Afterwards, I did come by, but you and Helena were out. I talked to Barbara and found out how you have progressed as a superhero and how much you loved it."  
  
Dinah turned to Barbara. "You knew my mother was alive all this time!"   
  
"It was my request that she not tell you, Dinah," Carolyn replied for Barbara. "If you had known that I was alive, I was afraid that you would give up your dream of being a superhero to be with me, and I didn't want you to give up on your dream, not because of me. I only came today because I knew off the odds you all were up against. Please forgive me Dinah."  
  
Tears strolled down the side of Dinah's face and the mother and daughter duo embraced each other. "I'm just glad you're alive."  
  
Barbara and Richard smiled to see the mother and daughter together again. The two of them held hands. Reese and Helena were happy for Dinah and her mother as well. Reese wrapped his arm around Helena's shoulder. Helena took a breath and turned to face Reese. "You know, the thought just occurred to me that I have not seen your apartment yet." Helena grinned up at him.  
  
"No, I suppose not," Reese smiled. He leaned his head down and the two of them embraced each other as their lips met.  
  
* * * *  
  
Dinah and Carolyn were walking through New Gotham Park. It was the first time they had much time to get to know each other for the first time in their lives. Dinah was absolutely fascinated in getting to know her mother more. "Well, I am now officially retired from the hero business. I've said that before, but I mean it this time. I'm going out there, somewhere in the tropic region, and retire and live the rest of my years in peace and quiet."  
  
"You're not going to stay here in New Gotham with me?" Dinah said in disappointment.  
  
"I can't Dinah. I want to get away from this place. I want to get away from the action. Barbara has taken very good care of you, and I know she will continue to do so." Carolyn turned to face her daughter and smiled. "My god, you have grown so much. You will be one hell of a superhero, I have no doubts whatsoever in my mind."  
  
Dinah looked down towards her feet as her eyes began to swell up. She looked back up into the face of her mother. "I want to go with you."  
  
"What?" Carolyn said, with a confused look on her face. "This is your dream, Dinah. You've wanted to be a superhero, and you are one. Barbara is doing a fine job in training you, and now you want to throw it all away to be with me?"  
  
"I like being a superhero, Mom, but it's not everyday you get a second chance to get to know your mother who you've never go to know in your whole life. You are more important to me than being Miss Black Canary Jr. I want to spend time with you and get to know you, that's all I ever wanted."  
  
Carolyn smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. She could here Dinah's muffled words from leaning into her shoulder, "I love you, Mom."  
  
* * * *   
  
Barbara and Richard were alone in another part of New Gotham Park. Richard brought Barbara to a large metal garbage can. Inside the can was Richard's Nightwing Costume. "Richard, what is this?"  
  
"This is me officially retiring from being Nightwing forever," Richard said as he lit a match and dropped it into the can. The two of them watched as his costume caught on fire and began to burn into nothingness.   
  
"Are you sure about this?" Barbara said looking up at Richard. "There is still another costume for you in the Bat Cave."  
  
"And I am going to burn that one too. I am too old to go running around in tights and fighting crime. It's time for me to hang up my came and settle down."  
  
"So, are you going back home now to run your business?" Barbara said sadly, looking down at her feet.  
  
"On the contrary, I am going to move my business closer here to New Gotham," Richard replied. "I want to be closer to you."  
  
Barbara looked up at him with a smile. "How close is close?"  
  
"This close," Richard said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black box and handed it to Barbara. Barbara gasped and her eyes watered up as she took the box and slowly opened it to find a beautiful diamond ring in the box. "Barbara Gordon, it will be my honor if you would spend the rest of your life with me. Will you marry me?"  
  
Barbara stared at the ring and laughed with joy. She looked up into Richard's eyes. "Yes." She jumped into his arms and he held her up off the ground embracing her tightly and swing her around. Their lips met passionately as they begun to celebrate their engagement.  
  
* * * *  
  
Helena laid there in bed feeling a thrill of adrenalin. Helena was laying on her side on the left side of the bed, covering herself in the tan sheets that were on the bed. She felt Reese's bare arm wrap around here and she began to rub his arm. Reese snuggled up from Behind Helena. "So, how do you like my apartment?" he whispered into her ear.  
  
Helena smiled radiantly. "It's wonderful."  
  
"So have you given thought to my proposal?" Reese asked, still whispering into her ear.  
  
"I have, and I yes. I will move in with you," Helena twisted around in bed to face Reese. He cleared the hair from her eyes and then began rubbing her bare arms.  
  
"I though you might want to know, I have been contacted by the mayor of New Gotham."  
  
"Did he give you your job back?"  
  
"No, he didn't give my job back," Reese said with a grin on his face. "He has promoted me to Commissioner."  
  
"Commissioner Reese," Helena said. "It has a nice ring to it."  
  
"And if you ever decide to return to being the Huntress, we will be able to work together."  
  
"I'm not sure if I want to return being the Huntress. I just want some time being normal, and spending more time with you. I love you."  
  
The two of the snuggled up to each other as they kissed once again. They slipped totally under the covers as they begun a second round of intimacy. 


	30. UP FROM OUT OF THE ASHES: End of an Era

CHAPTER 10  
  
Helena and Barbara walked through the ruins of the clock tower. There was nothing left beside black, burnt remains. There was a hole in the ceiling allowing the moon light to shine through. It was just over twenty-four hours since the events at Arkham Asylum. The national guard and come in to help restore order. All the convicts were rounded up and put back into their cells, including Harley. Order has been restored back to New Gotham. The police were looking for a new headquarters while Reese was named the new police commissioner.  
  
"So what do you think?" Helena asked, walking through the burnt rubble.   
  
"The damage is too vast. There is no way we can afford to have this replace. The clock tower served us very well. It's a shame it had to go this way,"  
  
The two girls turned around when they heard other footsteps entering what used to be the hideout. Entering the room were Carolyn and Dinah. "I guess it's that time already," Barbara said. "Alfred is on his way here, are you sure you don't want to wait for him?"  
  
"He will be here shortly. We ran into him when we got here," Dinah replied as she walked up to Helena and Barbara. Carolyn stayed back to give time alone to the three women.  
  
"Are you sure this is what you want, Dinah?" Barbara asked putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm sure," Dinah replied. Dinah began to cry. "I'm love you two so much. I'm going to miss you."  
  
Barbara and Dinah hugged each other. "Take care of yourself, Dinah. Don't forget to write, you here?"  
  
"I will," Dinah was barely understandable with her crying.   
  
The two of them stepped away as Dinah walked up to Helena. "It was my honor having you as a partner. You make a hell of superhero," Helena said.  
  
Dinah struggled with a smile. The two of them hugged each other. "You be good now."  
  
Dinah smiled. She turned around and walked back towards her mother. The two of them waved to Barbara and Helena as they walked into the elevator and the doors shut behind them.   
  
"I'm actually going to miss her," Helena said.  
  
"Miss Barbara, Miss Helena!" Alfred came out of no where to join them in the clock tower.  
  
"Alfred, how are you feeling?" Barbara asked as she and Helena walked up to him.  
  
"The wound is healing nicely, though the pain can sometimes be unbearable. I will live through it though."   
  
"So, where are you off to?"  
  
"I am going to stay with family in London for awhile. I do not know if I will be back to America or not."  
  
"Well, I wish you luck in whatever you do. We will miss you deeply," Barbara gently hugged Alfred.   
  
"Do take care of yourself," Alfred said. It was Helena's turn to say good bye to Alfred. "And that goes for you too, Miss Helena."  
  
"Goodbye Alfred," Helena said, hugging him. "You've been a good friend."  
  
Alfred turned around and picked up his briefcase. "I will miss serving both of you. You were like family to me." The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside. The doors shut in front of him and he was gone.  
  
"So, I guess that leaves the two of us," Helena said.  
  
"I'm afraid not. I am hanging up my cape once and for all. Richard and I are getting married."  
  
"Get out of here!" Helena said enthusiastically. "You two are going to tie the knot! When?"  
  
"We haven't set a date yet," Barbara replied.  
  
"You are going to invite me, I hope!" Helena gently nudged Barbara on the shoulder.  
  
"Of course," Barbara laughed. "How about you? Are you going to continue being the Huntress or not? You don't need an Oracle to guide you anymore. You are a superhero now on your own merit."  
  
"Right now, I think I am going to take a break. I want to live a normal life for once, and not be depended upon to save New Gotham. I'm going to be moving into Reese's apartment. He's got a wonderful small apartment that will do us just fine."  
  
"So that's where you were last night and why you've been radiating all day," Barbara grinned.  
  
Helena laughed as she nodded in response.  
  
"Hey Barbara, are you ready?" Richard said, coming out of the elevator but staying there to keep the doors from shutting. With him was Reese who walked over to Helena to join her. The two of them held each other in their arms. Barbara joined Richard and they kissed as they met.   
  
Also walking in was Gibson who walked up to Helena. Helena smiled at him. "So Gibson, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm going to stay in New Gotham, and reopen the bar. It's going to be renamed No Man's Land. One thing Danielle taught me is to never be ashamed of being a meta-human. I think doing this will bring honor to her memory."  
  
"I think she would have liked that very much," Helena said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I have to get going, but I wanted to thank all of you for what you have done for me. I hope I will see you all around when I reopen the bar."  
  
"Count on it," Helena said.  
  
"The same with me," Barbara said as he and Richard walked up to the group. "Well Helena, I will see you around. We'll still see a lot of each other. Richard and I will be living just on the outskirts of New Gotham."  
  
"I'll catch you later," Helena said.  
  
Gibson joined Barbara and Richard as they entered the elevator and turned around. Helena and Reese waved as the door slid closed.  
  
"Well, in a few minutes, we can be off to begin your first day of normal life," Reese said, pulling Helena into him.  
  
"And I have you with me to share it," Helena said with a smile. The two of them made out there in the remains of the clock tower.  
  
* * * *  
  
Two members of the National Guard entered Harley's prison. In the middle of the room was the octagon shaped plastic cell. They were there to make sure that Harley Quinn was safe and secured into her cell, accounting for all the convicts that were imprisoned here before they had taken Arkham over.  
  
Sitting sadly on the bench was Harley who didn't even look up at her visitors. She was more interested in playing with the dust on the floor inside the cell with her foot. "There's Harley Quinn. She's accounted for now. Let's go,"  
  
The two members of the National Guard turned around and exited out of the prison. Harley looked up to watch the electrified gate close behind them and walk out of view. An evil grin came over her face as her body began to change. Sitting in the plastic cell was Clay Face who grinned devilishly.  
  
THE END  
  
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE READ THE ENTIRE SERIES OF STORIES. I HAVE ENJOYED WRITING THEM TREMENDOUSLY. I HOPE TO RETURN TO WRITE MORE BOP FAN FICTIONS SOMEDAY SOON. I DO HAVE PLANS FOR THE NEXT STORY THAT WILL CONTINUE AFTER THIS SERIES, BUT I WANT TO TAKE A BREAK FROM BOP FOR A LITTLE BIT. I WROTE A FICTION HERE LAST YEAR CALLED THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (SPIDER-MAN 2). THIS WAS MY VISION ON HOW I THOUGH THE SEQUEL WILL BE LIKE. I AM GOING TO START ON THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (SPIDER-MAN 3) 


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